Tag: Belmont Stakes

A Look Back: Reviewing Guest Picks for the 2024 Belmont Stakes

The Belmont Stakes is the final leg on the Triple Crown trail, but in the 2024 Paddy’s Picks backlogged triathlon, it’s the middle jewel, and a special one at that. For the first time in the history of the American Triple Crown, the 2024 Belmont Stakes was held at Saratoga Racecourse in Upstate New York. For any racing fan, it was the must-see event of the year. I stood beside my sister, Emma, and her friend, Niko, in the 161-year-old grandstand as the horses entered the final stretch. 

There’s another story attached to this memory, one I mention among my guests’ picks. As the three of us looked for a spot with a view of the track, however, the most notable sensation was the awe-inspiring energy from the gathering crowd. It reminded me of photos of World Series games, when people crowded on top of surrounding buildings to get a peek of the field while countless others gathered around radios outside local shops. It was idyllic pandemonium. read more

Paddy’s Picks Analysis, Picks For The 2024 Belmont Stakes

Greetings from Saratoga Springs! For those of you who unaware, due to renovations at Belmont Racetrack, this year’s Belmont Stakes is being held at Saratoga Racecourse for the first time in the race’s history. I’m lucky enough to be in attendance and writing to you from the track this morning.

While this year’s Belmont Stakes field isn’t anything special, the historic nature of this venue change is certain to elevate it, while also transforming it into a different event. From a sporting standpoint, cutting the race back to 1 ¼ miles makes it more closely resemble the Travers in August. There has been talk of shortening the marathon race for a long time, and while I can understand the temporary change to accompany Saratoga, I sincerely hope it doesn’t stay this way forever. read more

Belmont Racing Festival Analysis: Saturday, June 10, 2023

Who needs the Breeders’ Cup when you can just make your own every year? Between the conclusion of the Triple Crown, new challenges for older horses and some of the best races of the year on American turf, the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival offers more than nearly any other event in the sport.

In addition to the countless quality horses competing on the track this afternoon, it feels immensely gratifying to have so many people to share this weekend with. As we speak, my family is setting up a small picnic in the backyard to watch the day of races. My friends going to the event itself have all asked me for links to purchase the Daily Racing Form.  read more

Race of the Day: 2023 Belmont Stakes Analysis

At the end of every Triple Crown season, the Belmont Stakes ushers in a new era for three-year-olds as they begin the transition to careers as older horses. This happens to be a year in which the spotlight isn’t quite as bright, but the race remains the preeminent event of a spectacular weekend of racing.

Between the distance, field quality and venue, the Belmont Stakes may possibly be my favorite race each year. That may or may not be because I’ve made a lot of money on the event in past years, but the appeal of a special day for my home track undoubtedly plays a part as well. read more

Belmont Racing Festival Analysis: Friday, June 9, 2023

For the rest of my life, Belmont Stakes weekend will always make me think of Paddy’s Picks most.

When I first launched this website on June 5, 2020, the reception I received from readers in every corner of my life was overwhelming. I’m grateful to have this platform to return to again and again, and I’m just as grateful that many of you have stuck around.

At first, Paddy’s Picks was simply a preferable alternative to watching the grass grow in the backyard and taking trips to 7/11 in a hazmat suit. The pandemic affected all of us in different ways, and my unhinged response to the chaos was to get a pony blog going. The site has evolved as the world returned to normal and I took on other responsibilities, but every now and again, I like to turn back the clock. It’s time for some classic full-card analysis, as it was in the beginning. I hope you’re all with me. read more

A Look Back: Reviewing Picks for the 2022 Belmont Stakes

Three weeks ago, a near-death experience on Preakness Day, or Fordham’s Graduation Day, forced me to slightly change the Paddy’s Picks format for guest analysis. Instead of publishing the article before the race, which would have been impossible for me to do as I sat in my black robes and slowly perished, I chose to wait until after the race and provide commentary for my guests’ picks in hindsight. After getting a significant amount of positive feedback after it went up, I decided to maintain the format for the Belmont Stakes. read more

Belmont Analysis: Saturday, June 11, 2022

If the Breeders’ Cup is never going to come to Belmont Park, then we’ll just have to go ahead and make our own championship weekend. In addition to the Belmont Stakes, the third leg of the Triple Crown, it’s hard to imagine a card of higher quality at this point in the racing season.

In nine graded stakes today, racing fans will have the privilege to watch some of the best at every distance and surface. Champions will be tested and new faces will undoubtedly stake their claim as the next ones in line. A select few may even begin to make cases as superstars, while others are already living legends. Admittedly, this sort of talk doesn’t always lead to profitability for bettors, as the presence of great horses often lead to short prices and small fields. But days like this are undoubtedly the life blood of the sport and should be appreciated for the showcase and spectacle they provide. Let’s get into it. read more

2022 Belmont Stakes Preview

The handicapping adages about the Belmont Stakes are so plentiful and unique that the race nearly qualifies as its very own branch within the sport. The demanding 1 ½-mile distance is the unmistakable defining feature of the third leg of the Triple Crown, and because the horses have never run that far (and will likely never run that far again), theories abound about the way to win it.

Some say it’s a jockey’s race. If that’s the case, long shot Barber Road has the advantage this year, as his champion rider Joel Rosario is the only one in the field with two wins in the Belmont (Tonalist in 2014 and Sir Winston in 2019). Others say the pedigrees tell the tale. It’s no coincidence that three horses in this field descend from Tapit, the sire of last year’s Belmont winner, Essential Quality. Some like closers while others like front runners, and pace plays a part more than it does at any other traditional distance. read more

Paddy’s Picks 2021 Belmont Stakes Analysis

The Belmont Stakes is returning to 12 furlongs as God intended. The field for this year’s Test of Champions is wanting in size but not in talent, as several top runners from this year’s Triple Crown return to lock horns at a new and unfamiliar distance. When Sir Winston defeated Tacitus in the 2019 Belmont, I felt all-knowing, and when Tapwrit won in 2017, I felt hopelessly lost. Let’s see where I find myself this year handling this top-notch field:

Race 11

Belmont Stakes (G1) for Three-Year-Olds, 1 1/2 Miles on the Dirt read more

Belmont Analysis: Saturday, June 5, 2021

Paddy’s Picks began nearly a year ago with analysis of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. We now come full circle with another stacked card at my favorite track on the planet. I’ve been mulling over the Belmont Stakes for weeks now, but my attention is now diverted by a massive amount of talent at every division, including both Pegasus World Cup winners and more Chad Brown turf horses than one can possibly profit from. Days like these breathe life into every racing fan and inspire hope in an uncertain future for the sport. Let’s get cracking: read more