The Belmont Stakes…

Viejo Dinosaur

EOG Master
For those interested the Belmont Stakes will be run at Saratoga this year and it will be run at a mile and a quarter instead of the usual mile and a half…my pick will be Baeza…good luck to all….
 

bobodad

EOG Addicted
I saw his last race before retirement at the Woodbine race track many years ago. He was 1 length behind Kennedy Road (the rabbit) in the first 6 furlong (10+ length from the remaining field) and won by 20+ length. This horse was with speed all around. It paid $2.30 to win.
 

John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
I attended the Belmont Stakes in 1998 when Victory Gallop nailed Real Quiet on the wire to win by a dirty nose and deny Real Quiet the Triple Crown.

Victory Gallop was 9/2, Real Quiet 4/5.

To this day, I still remember the foundation of the grandstand swaying a bit.

Attendance on Saturday, June 6 for the 130th running of the Belmont Stakes: 80,162.
 

John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
With no Triple Crown on the line this year, the attendance at Saratoga Race Course will be smaller than 80,000.

Want to win a bar bet?

If there's an attendance pool in your neighborhood, go ahead and guess 50,000.

Saratoga has an attendance cap of 50,000 for this year's Belmont Stakes and that was the announced attendance at last year's event.
 

Valuist

EOG Master
I'm probably the exception here, but I prefer the race at 1 1/4 miles, as horses nowadays just don't race at 12 furlongs on dirt. If you go back a number of years, many mediocre horses won the Belmont. Here are some of the very forgettable Belmont winners in the 21st Century: Commendable, Sarava, Jazil, Da Tara, Drosselmeyer, Ruler on Ice, Creator, and Sir Winston.
 
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Viejo Dinosaur

EOG Master
I attended the Belmont Stakes in 1998 when Victory Gallop nailed Real Quiet on the wire to win by a dirty nose and deny Real Quiet the Triple Crown.

Victory Gallop was 9/2, Real Quiet 4/5.

To this day, I still remember the foundation of the grandstand swaying a bit.

Attendance on Saturday, June 6 for the 130th running of the Belmont Stakes: 80,162.

I had Real Quiet in the Derby that year when he paid 24 and change…I gave it to all the staff at Olympic Garden in Vegas…was treated like a King…free drinks and lap dances galore…VIP room was like a second home…was pretty flush back then…
 

Jammer

EOG Dedicated
I still remember the greatest horse of all time destroying the field to win the Triple Crown….Secretariat

Was the greatest horse race of all time IMO….
Great race although only 4 other horses in the field, and his only competition had a hairline fracture in his leg.
 

jasson621

EOG Dedicated
I'm probably the exception here, but I prefer the race at 1 1/4 miles, as horses nowadays just don't race at 12 furlongs on dirt. If you go back a number of years, many mediocre horses won the Belmont. Here are some of the very forgettable Belmont winners in the 21st Century: Commendable, Sarava, Jazil, Da Tara, Drosselmeyer, Ruler on Ice, Creator, and Sir Winston.
agree except for drosselmeyer
 

lap18

EOG Dedicated
I had Real Quiet in the Derby that year when he paid 24 and change…I gave it to all the staff at Olympic Garden in Vegas…was treated like a King…free drinks and lap dances galore…VIP room was like a second home…was pretty flush back then…
Haha
 

John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
I had Real Quiet in the Derby that year when he paid 24 and change…I gave it to all the staff at Olympic Garden in Vegas…was treated like a King…free drinks and lap dances galore…VIP room was like a second home…was pretty flush back then…


Nice score with Real Quiet, VD.

I'm sure things got pretty loud at Olympic Garden later that night.

Real Quiet paid "only" $18.80 to win.

Funny how our memories can fade over time.

By the way, Real Quiet fit the "other Baffert" angle as Indian Charlie was the race favorite that day at odds of 5/2.

Not sure the "other Baffert" angle was a thing back in 1998.
 

Viejo Dinosaur

EOG Master
Nice score with Real Quiet, VD.

I'm sure things got pretty loud at Olympic Garden later that night.

Real Quiet paid "only" $18.80 to win.

Funny how our memories can fade over time.

By the way, Real Quiet fit the "other Baffert" angle as Indian Charlie was the race favorite that day at odds of 5/2.

Not sure the "other Baffert" angle was a thing back in 1998.

Check back in a couple years…will be close to 28 and change…lol

Jeff Whitelaw was my wingman during those days…
 

Heim

EOG Master
I always liked the traditional distance at Belmont. At a mile and a half it's front runners or anyone close to the pace that wins.

Most bet closers thinking the longer the distance it suits horses coming from behind better.
 

Valuist

EOG Master
Nice score with Real Quiet, VD.

I'm sure things got pretty loud at Olympic Garden later that night.

Real Quiet paid "only" $18.80 to win.

Funny how our memories can fade over time.

By the way, Real Quiet fit the "other Baffert" angle as Indian Charlie was the race favorite that day at odds of 5/2.

Not sure the "other Baffert" angle was a thing back in 1998.

I don't know if the "uncoupled Baffert" was in play at that point (although I was on Real Quiet in the Derby; he ran a superior race in the SA Derby as opposed to Indian Charlie) but the "uncoupled big time trainer" was already a thing before 1998. In 1995, Lukas won the Derby with longshot Thunder Gulch (over 20/1 I believe) while the uncoupled stablemate, filly Serena's Song was the betting favorite and finished off the board.

Speaking of old horse racing, has Blue Line been seen recently?
 

Valuist

EOG Master
I kind of like Baeza. He had a little traffic in the Derby and having drawn the dreaded 19 post, Prat took him back farther than usual. He still was narrowly beaten by Journalism for second. Sovereignty? Is he really a Churchill specialist? As for Journalism, it was an impressive win at Pimlico but he did get knocked around and the fig came back a little light.
 

John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
Yes.

The Belmont Stakes returns to Belmont Park next year.

Hold the phone.

Just read where Belmont Park is pointing for a September 2026 re-opening.

The 2026 Breeders' Cup is set for Belmont Park.

The Belmont Stakes could return to Saratoga Race Course next year.
 

Valuist

EOG Master
Hold the phone.

Just read where Belmont Park is pointing for a September 2026 re-opening.

The 2026 Breeders' Cup is set for Belmont Park.

The Belmont Stakes could return to Saratoga Race Course next year.

Can't happen fast enough. I hate Aqueduct. And the field sizes have gotten to SoCal territory.
 

parlaynow

EOG Dedicated
I attended the Belmont Stakes in 1998 when Victory Gallop nailed Real Quiet on the wire to win by a dirty nose and deny Real Quiet the Triple Crown.

Victory Gallop was 9/2, Real Quiet 4/5.

To this day, I still remember the foundation of the grandstand swaying a bit.

Attendance on Saturday, June 6 for the 130th running of the Belmont Stakes: 80,162.
Great stretch tumi that day
 

jasson621

EOG Dedicated
more weight on Baeza

couldn't pass up+425 fixed my preference is 267 but it is so close +425 was the play over +190 on either of the other 2
 
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