The final leg of the Triple Crown is nearly here, as all eyes will be on the beautiful Belmont Park located in New York. The Belmont Stakes brings a close to the first half of the season for horses aged three in the United States, as they face their biggest test to date.
Unlike the two previous Triple Crown races that are run, the Belmont Stakes covers a distance of 1 ½ mile, which means that it will be the first time that horses in the field have covered such a great distance. The next Belmont will happen on June 11th and you can check 2022 Belmont Stakes odds by TwinSpires.com here.
So, throughout history, some of the brightest stars have shone brighter when faced with their biggest challenge to date. Below, you can find out more about the fastest horses in the history of the Belmont Stakes.
Harry Bassett
The Belmont Stakes has been run over a range of distances throughout its history. It first competed over a total distance of 1 5/8 miles, and the record for that distance is still held by the legendary Harry Bassett. The horse trained, and owned by David McDaniel, won the 1871 Belmont Stakes in a super-quick time of 2:56.
Unlike the future editions of the race, this renewal was run at Jerome Park Racetrack. McDaniel would achieve more success in the Belmont Stakes over the following two years, as Joe Daniels won the following year’s race before Springbok won the 1873 renewal.
Secretariat
There would be no surprise to any racing fan that Secretariat finds himself on the list for the fastest horses in the history of the Belmont Stakes. He is widely regarded as one of the best racehorses to ever grace the track, and still owns the speed record for both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, as well as the Belmont Stakes. His Belmont Stakes run is widely regarded as one of the best performances seen in the United States, as he completed the 1 ½ mile distance in a time of 2:24.
The victory sent the stands into a frenzy, as he also became the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years. His dominant victory was further highlighted by the fact that he won by the biggest-ever winning margin in the history of the Belmont Stakes, as he finished 31 lengths clear of the field.
Man O’ War
Another horse that many consider to be one of the best in the history of the sport is Man O’ War. Many believe that he would have won the Triple Crown, but owner Samuel Riddle opted to bypass the Kentucky Derby, as he didn’t feel that horses should be racing over such a considerable distance so early in their career. His first start as a three-year-old came in the Preakness Stakes, as he beat Upset by over a length.
However, the runner-up on that occasion would later inflict the only defeat of Man O’ War’s career at Saratoga. The legendary horse would produce one of his best performances in the Belmont Stakes, as he completed the 1 3/8 mile distance in a time of 2:14.20.
Tiz The Law
History was made in the 2020 renewal of the race, as the Belmont Stakes formed the opening leg of the Triple Crown for the first time in history. It was also shortened to a distance of 1 1/8 miles for the first time since 1984. The winner of the race in that year was Tiz The Law in a record time of 1:46.53.
The three-year-old would later go on to be denied a second Triple Crown victory, as he finished second in the Kentucky Derby. However, he remained hugely successful throughout the 2020 season, as he won the Holy Bull, Florida Derby and Travers Stakes.
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