The Belmont Stakes will become the first leg of the Triple Crown this year after the coronavirus pandemic postponed the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.
The race will be run on June 20 at a shorter distance and with no spectators, according to a report published Tuesday by the New York Times.
“It was tough to ask developing 3-year-old horses to go that far after not racing for months,” Chief Executive of the New York Racing Association David O’Rourke said. “As far as the purse, we partly rely on casino revenues, and it doesn’t look like they are running anytime soon.”
The new race will be a mile and an eighth and the purse will be $1 million. The purse for the 2019 race was $1.5 million.
“If you got a 3-year-old ready to run, we have a $1 million race,” O’Rourke said. (RELATED: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Brings Backs Sports With No Spectators)
The Triple Crown season typically lasts five weeks, but this season will be different. The Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes have both been rescheduled for the fall of 2020.
This is great news. People in America are itching for a comeback of any kind of sports, and horse racing seems to be ready to give it to us. If you’ve never tuned into horse racing before, it’s really just an excuse to watch pretty horses run, drink and bet money.
I promise you’ll like it.