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The Belmont At 150: Celebrating The Final Leg Of The Triple Crown’s Big Birthday

By Mike Kane

May 30, 2018

This year marks the milestone 150th running of the Belmont Stakes—“The Test of the Champion”—on June 9 at Belmont Park in Elmont, NY. First run in 1867, the Belmont’s the oldest of the races that make up the American Triple Crown—and at 1½ miles, it’s also the longest.

It was named for August Belmont, a 19th-century German immigrant, who amassed a great fortune and great political power in New York and was a leading sportsman. The greatest Belmont ever? There are plenty to choose from, and good arguments can be made about a number of them.

But for my money, it’s the epic 2015 running, when 90,000 people cheered as American Pharoah ended the 37-year Triple Crown drought. In all my years covering sports, I’ve never seen, heard or felt anything like it. Happy birthday, Belmont—here’s to 150 more.

Mike Kane

Mike Kane is an award-winning journalist based in the Capital Region who has covered Saratoga Race Course for nearly 40 years. He spent 25 years as a sports writer and columnist at the Gazette Newspapers in Schenectady. Kane and Alan Carter are the co-authors of 150 Years of Racing in Saratoga.