This will be the year everything goes out the window,\u201d O\u2019Rourke said. \u201cIf there is ever a time to do something different, it\u2019s this year.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Still, the changes did not go over well with many racing fans and even some horsemen.<\/p>\n
\u201cTriple Crown*,\u201d tweeted trainer Graham Motion, who won the 2011 Kentucky Derby with Animal Kingdom. The asterisk in the tweet signifies the feeling, by some, that winning the Triple Crown this year would not be considered the same historic achievement.<\/p>\n
Big Names Expected, Large Field Possible<\/h2>\n
Because the Belmont will take place before the Kentucky Derby, it will, technically, serve as a Derby prep, with 150 qualifying points going to the winner.<\/p>\n
However, because of its status as a Triple Crown race, it\u2019s still likely to attract several of the top 3-year-olds who have already sewn up spots in the Derby. Florida Derby winner Tiz the Law is likely headed to New York, and a pair of Bob Baffert\u2019s top prospects, Authentic and Nadal, may head there.<\/p>\n
NYRA will accept up to 16 horses for the field, and if it does draw that many, it would make it the largest field in the race\u2019s history. A large field would also likely spur more betting interest, as quality horses would be available at attractive odds in parimutuel betting.<\/p>\n
Casino Closure Leads to Purse Cuts<\/h2>\n
Belmont Park will officially start racing on June 3, the NYRA also announced. Just like other tracks where racing is currently taking place, the Long Island track will race without fans. That includes the Belmont Stakes.<\/p>\n
Even with the number of race days cut \u2013 Belmont was supposed to start racing on April 24 \u2013 NYRA has had to make adjustments to purses for the Belmont meet. That includes the namesake race, which had a $1.5 million purse last year. This year\u2019s running will be for a $1 million purse.<\/p>\n
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Besides being able to draw income from fans in the stands, the lack of casino gaming has also put a dent in the NYRA\u2019s coffers. Resorts World Casino<\/a> at NYRA\u2019s Aqueduct has been closed for two months because of the coronavirus.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\u201cWithout the casino operating and without on-track attendance, we’ve had to make significant purse cuts,\u201d said NYRA Senior Vice President of Racing Operations Martin Panza in a release. \u201cThe purse cuts to the stakes schedule are much more dramatic than the overnight schedule, and we’ve tried to help the everyday horsemen as much as possible through these trying times by writing a rich and varied condition book, offering a daily opportunity for black type, that will support horsemen at all levels of the game.”<\/p>\n
The Belmont meet will end on July 12, as the NYRA will bring racing upstate to Saratoga for the traditional summer meet.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
COVID-19 has turned the sporting world upside down in 2020, and that includes horse racing\u2019s Triple Crown. On Tuesday, the New York Racing Association (NYRA) announced the Belmont Stakes, historically the anchor leg of the series of classic races for 3-year-old thoroughbreds, will run on June 20. With the Kentucky Derby set for Sept. 5 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":45,"featured_media":136347,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14577,16],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Belmont Stakes Set for June 20, Will Be First Triple Crown Race in 2020<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n