Belmont Stakes Distance: 2024 Marks Rare Year Horse Race Is Not 1 1/2 Miles
Handicapping Belmont Stakes odds will be different than most years come Saturday at Saratoga, as Belmont Park is undergoing remodeling. With the new location, the Belmont Stakes distance will be 1 1/4 miles instead of the standard 1 1/2 miles. While the 2020 race was run at 1 1/8 miles, due to COVID delays in the three-year-old race schedule, you must go further back in time to find other instances.
Let’s take a look at the past races and how Belmont Stakes has seen changes in race distance.
Belmont Stakes Distance Changes Over The Years
Jerome Park Era
The first 23 Belmont races were held at Jerome Park from 1867 through 1889. There, horses ran at two lengths, 1 5/8 miles from 1867 to 1873 and 1 1/2 miles from 1874 to 1889.
Morris Park Era
Morris Park followed, and between 1890 and 1904, the race would see three different lengths.
When 1 1/2 Miles Became Tradition
It was not until 1926 that the standard 1-1/2 mile distance became consistent. Since then, only 2020 saw an anomaly.
That is until 2024 which will see the race run at 1 1/4 miles. The Belmont had not run from this length in well over a century. The last time the Belmont ran at 1 1/4 miles was 1905.
- What Time Does The Belmont Stakes Start?
Belmont Stakes Race Distance History
| Length | Years |
|---|---|
| 1 5/8 miles | 1867-1873 |
| 1 1/2 miles | 1874-1889, 1926-2019, 2021-2023 |
| 1 1/4 miles | 1890-1892, 1895, 1904-1905, 2024 |
| 1 1/8 miles | 1893-1894, 2020 |
| 1 3/8 miles | 1896-1903, 1906-1925 |
How The New Length Can Affect Betting
In many cases, the Triple Crown races can boil down to a race of attrition. How long can the lead horse maintain its distance in front of the competition? With the shorter length, a racehorse that would normally tire out or slow down may have enough to reach the finish.
How much will horses be affected by the shortened racing length in the 2024 Belmont Stakes? All will be revealed come Saturday.
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2024 Belmont Stakes Post Positions and Morning Line Odds
| Post | Horse | Morning Line odds | Trainer | Jockey |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seize the Grey | 8-1 | D. Wayne Lukas | Jaime Torres |
| 2 | Resilience | 10-1 | Bill Mott | Junior Alvarado |
| 3 | Mystik Dan | 5-1 | Kenny McPeek | Brian Hernandez, Jr. |
| 4 | The Wine Steward | 15-1 | Michael J. Maker | Manuel Franco |
| 5 | Antiquarian | 12-1 | Todd Pletcher | John Velazquez |
| 6 | Dornoch | 15-1 | Danny Gargan | Luis Saez |
| 7 | Protective | 20-1 | Todd Pletcher | Tyler Gaffalione |
| 8 | Honor Marie | 12-1 | Whit Beckman | Florent Geroux |
| 9 | Sierra Leone | 9-5 | Chad Brown | Flavien Prat |
| 10 | Mindframe | 7-2 | Todd Pletcher | Irad Ortiz, Jr. |
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