Belmont Stakes Preview

The Belmont Stakes is a 1 ½ mile race for three year old thoroughbreds. It marks the completion of the Triple Crown, a distinction that no one horse has one since 1978 when Affirmed won all three legs. The Belmont Stakes is a unique race, though, as it is the longest distance that these horses will probably ever run all out. The world record for this race’s distance was set by the great Secretariat—it is unlikely that a horse will ever break the time set by Big Red. 2:24.00 was Secretariat’s time in 1973 when he won the Triple Crown. The distance by which he won the race (31 lengths) still remains the largest margin of victory ever in this historic race. The next closest time behind Secretariat’s record at this distance is 2:26.15, set in 1992 by A.P. Indy.

This year’s Belmont Stakes will prove to be an exciting one, even if there is no talent to match Secretariat’s record. Animal Kingdom, the winner of the 2011 Kentucky Derby and runner up within the Preakness Stakes, looks to be the favorite early on because of his stunning endurance and ability to pick off horses coming down the final straightaway. Nehro will also be a factor within this race. Nehro, who finished 2nd in the Kentucky Derby, has a good deal of leg speed—it is a good possibility that these two horses will again be struggling against each other in the final seconds of this race. For Nehro to win, however, he will need to break away from Animal Kingdom early on in the back stretch in order to stave off Animal Kingdom’s ability to accelerate when tired. Make your next Wager at Bet America and get $100 free.