Belmont Stakes Schedule 2014: Race Times, Undercard Events and TV Coverage Info
The aptly named "Belmont Stakes Festival" this weekend features two consecutive days of high-stakes horse racing for fans around the globe to observe.
As the final leg of the Triple Crown, Belmont Park in New York has stepped up its game to craft an overall card over the course of two days that easily makes for the most exciting weekend the sport touts.
Let's take a look at the entire slate of events and how to catch the action for those not making the trip to Belmont Park.
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146th running of the Belmont Stakes
When: Saturday, June 7
Where: Belmont Park in Elmont, New York
TV: NBC
Time: Broadcast begins at 2:30 p.m. ET
Post Time: 6:52 p.m. ET
Live Stream: NBC Sports Live Extra
| 1 | Medal Count | 20-1 |
| 2 | California Chrome | 3-5 |
| 3 | Matterhorn | 30-1 |
| 4 | Commanding Curve | 15-1 |
| 5 | Ride on Curlin | 12-1 |
| 6 | Matuszak | 30-1 |
| 7 | Samraat | 20-1 |
| 8 | Commissioner | 20-1 |
| 9 | Wicked Strong | 6-1 |
| 10 | General A-Rod | 20-1 |
| 11 | Tonalist | 8-1 |
| Race | Post | Race | Post |
| 1 | 1:20 p.m. | 1 | 11:35 a.m. |
| 2 | 1:50 p.m. | 2 | 12:07 p.m. |
| 3 | 2:20 p.m. | 3 | 12:40 p.m. |
| 4 | 2:50 p.m. | 4 | 1:16 p.m. |
| 5 | 3:20 p.m. | 5 | 1:54 p.m. |
| 6 | 3:50 p.m. | 6 | 2:32 p.m. |
| 7 | 4:22 p.m. | 7 | 3:14 p.m. |
| 8 | 4:35 p.m. | 8 | 4:00 p.m. |
| 9. True North | 5:06 p.m. | 9 | 4:48 p.m. |
| 10. The Belmont Gold Cup | 5:40 p.m. | 10 | 5:42 p.m. |
| 11. The Belmont Stakes | 6:52 p.m. | ||
| 12 | 7:40 p.m. | ||
| 13 | 8:12 p.m. |
Note: Full race info can be found at BelmontStakes.com.
The overarching story in New York is the pursuit of the Triple Crown by one California Chrome, so the folks in charge were smart to beef up the event list to garner as much attention as possible.
According to Paul Christian of the Post-Bulletin, the 16 hours of coverage by NBC Sports is more than double what the network initially planned to cover.
The sport itself can thank the great possibility of a Triple Crown winner for additional exposure.
As if soothsayers, the bosses of the New York Racing Association upped the ante of the weekend in a major way, as a release by the official website explains:
"The 13-race Belmont Stakes Day card serves as the centerpiece of a new three-day "Belmont Stakes Festival" that will offer a wide array of special hospitality and entertainment options. The 10 Saturday stakes will be worth an aggregate $7.7 million. In 2013, Belmont Stakes Day included six stakes events worth $2.95 million.
"
Martin Panza, the NYRA's senior vice president of racing operations, explained why the stakes have been raised for one of New York's most notable sporting events.
"This is the premier day of racing at Belmont Park, anchored by the historic Belmont Stakes. I see June 7 as a summer time Breeders' Cup-type event. Fans and New York horsemen deserve a day like this."
The NYRA's Andy Serling summarized the highlight of the undercard:
The final event on Friday with a purse of $200,000 has drawn some particularly stout names into the field, as David Grening of Daily Racing Form notes:
The winner of various Grade 2 races, Twilight Eclipse brings a semblance of hype to a lengthy inaugural two-mile event. While no California Chrome, it is exactly what the card needed before the 13-race spectacle on Saturday goes down.
With the goal being a way to attract causal and hardcore fans alike to a rather struggling sport in comparison to its heyday—thank the accessibility of gambling on other sports for that—it's safe to say those in charge of the event have done a great job of crafting a global spectacle that is sure to be a resounding success.
A Triple Crown triumph would simply be the cherry on top when all is said and done this weekend.
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