This Saturday marks the 155th running of the Belmont Stakes. It is the final leg of the Triple Crown series. It is known as the “The Test of Champions.” In early June the best three-year-olds in the country come to majestic Belmont Park to contest the grueling mile and a half that is the essence of the Belmont Stakes.
It has crowned champions and dashed the hopes of others. The elite members of the club that have won the race include Secretariat, Citation, Affirmed, Seattle Slew and the 9 other Triple Crown winners. Add the likes of Man O’ War, Native Dancer, Damascus, Gallant Man, Nashua. And you will appreciate what this race means to the “Sport of Kings.”
I decided in this article to present a different approach on the race. I would ask the three most knowledgeable horse racing experts that I know to look back on their favorite running of the Belmont and write a short summary of it for this article. I can say that I was ecstatic when they all agreed to do it.
Let me introduce them.
Edward Bowen was managing editor of The Blood-Horse magazine for nearly two decades. He is an Eclipse award winner for outstanding writing, the author of twenty-two books on many aspects of horse racing, and a past President of the Grayson Foundation.
Tommy Roberts is a racetrack personality who held important positions at both Garden State Park and Hialeah during many of the defining years of the sport. He is also considered one of the premier race callers of his era. He culminated an amazing career with the creation of simulcast, a concept that has changed the way horse race wagering is conducted throughout the world. His resume is much too long to log here.
Michael Veitch is a Saratoga native who is a member of the National Museum and Racing Hall of Fame Joe Hirsch Media Roll of Honor. He is the author of several books including a trilogy on the history of horse racing here at the Spa. He also co- authored a superb coffee table book with Brien Bouyea that chronicles the history of the Travers Stakes.
So without further delay let’s hear from the Masters.
EDWARD BOWEN:
My years as a Turf Writer created many revered memories, and Triple Crown races are high among them. For nearly 20 Years, I had the title of managing editor of The Blood-Horse. The editor had me organize coverage of the classic races for the weekly magazine.
This involved not only attending the events in order to write the main race coverages.
The schedules of the time meant that I also had time in the office to lay out the articles, write the headlines, and help choose the photos.
My memories of televised races predate my 1970 assignment as managing editor by nearly two decades. The year was 1955, when I was 12. Growing up in south Florida meant televised winter and spring stakes race from Hialeah and Gulfstream Park, leading to the Triple Crown. The glamour had helped a child’s interest in horses grow into a fixation for racing.
Along came Nashua, a colorful champion. He frustrated his great jockey, Eddie Arcaro, by goofing around enough in the stretch that he nearly lost races he managed to win. Arcaro growled; a twelve- year – old was charmed.
In the spring I survived the shock of Nashua losing to Swaps in the Kentucky Derby and was thrilled with his Preakness win. I already knew to fear the one and one half miles of the Belmont, and when Nashua cast off his childish habits and drew off to win by nine lengths I was enthralled. Best I could tell, Eddie Arcaro liked it, too. A local newspaper ran three photos with captions “One picture isn’t enough… to show how far Nashua was in front.” (Years later, I chuckled to think of the wrap around- printout the paper would have had to concoct to follow up on that idea after Secretariat won by 31 lengths)”.
Nashua remained my pal. The first writing on horses I ever had published was a letter about him to the editor of Turf & Sport Digest. At fifteen, I talked my parents into vacationing in Lexington so I could see the mighty horse.. a new stallion by then in the flesh.
Years later, in 2001 I had the assignment... wonder of wonders...of writing a book on Nashua for the Blood- Horses legends series.
Thank you Belmont, thank you Hialeah, thank you Eddi and thank you Nashua!
TOMMY ROBERTS:
Secretariat was trying to become the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years. The race was not exciting on paper. Two things changed that. A 31 length Victory in record time, and what happened to Me. I was calling the race for Mutual radio. Friday, the day before the race I had staked a place on a balcony outside the press box behind the CBS – TV camera. Seeing the turn for home would be tough. It became impossible when I got there Saturday. The camera was moved back into my spot. The biggest race in history, and I had no place to call it from.
Dejected, I wandered down stairs and ran into my former boss, Gene Mori, owner of Hialeah and Garden State Park. He said come have some lunch. I went to his table and the racing gods were with me: a front row table at the window of the Turf and Field Club. There was a phone jack. I called the race from there and plugged my uhr tape recorder in the line and fed it to mutual for our 6:15 airing as part of the regular “race of the week.”
Four years later the ’77 Belmont almost made me swallow my “mike” when jockey Jean Cruguet stood up on Seattle Slew 70 yards from home.
MICHAEL VEITCH:
The Belmont Stakes is my favorite of the three Triple Crown races, demanding as it is, twelve furlongs at the conclusion of the series. I have a lot of favorite editions of the race , but if you ask me to select one it would be the 2004 edition won by Mary Lou Whitney’s Birdstone.
Trainer Nick Zito had been disappointed in his two previous outings, the Lands End at Turfway which he was favored at 3-to-5 and finished fifth and the Kentucky Derby were he was eighth at 21- to-1. Both trips were loaded with trouble.
So after the Derby Nick brought Birdstone to Saratoga, where he has a barn at the Oklahoma training track. In the quiet of Saratoga in spring, he prepared Birdstone with two works on the deep main track. The second one on May 29 was six furlongs in 1:15 1/5.
Now, that is a number that normally would not draw your attention. But on the Oklahoma it is a very solid work, and I was there for that move.
When Birdstone left at the gap, he could not blow out the proverbial match. Nick had him dead fit for the Belmont.
Nick knew from his two-year-old campaign that Birdstone had plenty of speed that could be called upon at anytime in the race. Getting him settled after two tough races was his goal and he did a terrific job.
Birdstone full of the renowned “Whitney blood,” won the Belmont at 36-1 by a length over Smarty Jones who had won the Derby and Preakness and was sent off at 3-10.
“And yes I had a few dollars on him.”
CLOSING REMARK:
Many racing fans who read this publication have a favorite running of the Belmont Stakes. For those that don’t, this weekend could be your time to find that magical moment in the “Test of Champions.”
