When is the 2022 Belmont Stakes? Date, start time, distance, race coverage info

By Daniel TranMay 19, 2022, 6:28 PM EDT

Al Bello/Getty Images

The Belmont Stakes is back as the third and final jewel of the Triple Crown season. The race has been called “The Test of Champions” or “The Run for the Carnations” because a blanket of white carnations is placed across the winning colt or filly.

NBC is home to the 154th Belmont Stakes, providing comprehensive race coverage and analysis live on TV, NBCSports.com, the NBC Sports app and Peacock before, during and after. Coverage begins on Saturday, June 11 from 3 to 5 p.m. ET on CNBC and moves to NBC from 5 to 7 p.m. ET.

What is the Belmont Stakes?

The Belmont Stakes, traditionally held on the first or second Saturday in June, is the third and final Triple Crown race of the season. First run in 1867, this 1 1/2-mile (12 furlongs) race is the longest of the three American Triple Crown racetracks. With its sweeping turns and long homestretch, it is widely considered one of the fairest racetracks in America.

When is the 2022 Belmont Stakes?

The 154th running of the Belmont Stakes is set for Saturday, June 11, 2022 on NBC, Peacock, NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app.

The weekend kicks off with the undercard races on Saturday, June 11 from 3 to 5 p.m. ET on CNBC. For the main Belmont race, coverage runs from 5 to 7 p.m. ET on NBC.

Where is the 2022 Belmont Stakes?

The Belmont is held on the dirt track at Belmont Park in Elmore, N.Y., where it has been held since 1905. It was originally held at Jerome Park Racetrack in the Bronx from 1867 to 1890 before it moved to Morris Park Racecourse from 1891 to 1904.

How can I watch the 2022 Belmont Stakes?

NBC is home to the 154th Belmont Stakes, providing comprehensive race coverage and analysis live on TV, NBCSports.com, the NBC Sports app and Peacock before, during and after.

How are horses picked for the Belmont?

Only three-year-old thoroughbreds can qualify for the Belmont Stakes. The top-3 finishers from the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes are guaranteed a spot in the race. Beyond that, horses that wish to run must pay a series of entry fees and be nominated into the field.

Who won the 2021 Belmont Stakes?

On June 5, Brad Cox’s colt Essential Quality started as a 6-5 favorite and finished as the winner of the 2022 Belmont Stakes after clocking the fastest fraction for the first quarter-mile and outdueling Doug O’Neill-trained Hot Rod Charlie in the final stretch.

What are the biggest Belmont Stakes traditions?

The Belmont Stakes is traditionally referred to as “The Test of Champions” due to it being the longest Triple Crown race. After the race, the champion horse is draped with a blanket of white carnations, traditionally symbolizing love and luck.

The post parade song for the Belmont Stakes has changed over the years from “The Sidewalks of New York” to Frank Sinatra’s “Theme from New York” from 1997 to 2009, Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind” in 2010 and then back to the “Theme from New York” in 2011 to the present.

When the post parade song changed in 1997, so did the official drink. The Belmont Stakes from the vodka-based “White Carnation” to the whiskey-based “Belmont Breeze.” The official drink was changed again in 2011 to the “Belmont Jewel,” which is made with bourbon.

Watch the 154th running of the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, June 11 from 3 to 5 p.m. ET on CNBC and from 5 to 7 p.m. ET. on NBC, NBCSports.com, the NBC Sports app and Peacock.

Churchill Downs moves meet to Ellis Park to examine protocols following 12 horse deaths

Associated PressJun 2, 2023, 6:39 PM EDT

Michael Clevenger and Erik Mohn/USA TODAY NETWORK

Churchill Downs will suspend racing on Wednesday and move the remainder of its spring meet to Ellis Park in order to conduct a “top-to-bottom” review of safety and surface protocols in the wake of 12 horse fatalities the past month at the home of the Kentucky Derby.

No single factor has been identified as a potential cause for the fatalities or pattern detected, according to a release, but the decision was made to relocate the meet “in an abundance of caution.”

“What has happened at our track is deeply upsetting and absolutely unacceptable,” Churchill Downs Inc. CEO Bill Carstanjen said in Friday’s release. “We need to take more time to conduct a top-to-bottom review of all of the details and circumstances so that we can further strengthen our surface, safety and integrity protocols.”

Racing will continue at Churchill Downs through Sunday before shifting to the CDI-owned racing and gaming facility in Henderson, Kentucky. Ellis Park’s meet was scheduled to start July 7 and run through Aug. 27 but will now expand with Friday’s announcement.

Ellis Park will resume racing on June 10.

The move comes a day after track superintendent Dennis Moore conducted a second independent analysis of Churchill Downs’ racing and training surfaces as part of an emergency summit called this week by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) with the track and the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission. Meetings took place in Lexington, Kentucky, and at the Louisville track.

The head of the federally created oversight agency suggested ahead of the summit that it could recommend pausing the meet and that Churchill Downs would accept that recommendation.

Churchill Downs’ release stated that expert testing raised no concerns and concluded that the surface was consistent with the track’s prior measurements. Even so, it chose to relocate “in alignment” with HISA’s recommendation to suspend the meet to allow more time for additional investigation.

“We appreciate their thoughtfulness and cooperation through these challenging moments,” HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus said in a statement. “We will continue to seek answers and work with everyone involved to ensure that horses are running safely at Churchill Downs again in the near future.”

Carstanjen insisted that relocating the remainder of the spring meet to Ellis Park would maintain the industry ecosystem with minor disruption. He also said he was grateful to Kentucky horsemen for their support as they work to find answers.

Rick Hiles, the president of Kentucky Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, questioned the move, especially since there’s no conclusive evidence that Churchill Downs’ surface is the problem.

“We all want to find solutions that will improve safety for horses,” Hiles said in a statement. “However, we need to discuss allowing trainers and veterinarians to use therapeutic medications that greatly lessen the risk of breakdowns.

“Drastic steps, such as relocating an active race meet, should only be considered when it is certain to make a difference.”

The latest development comes a day after Churchill Downs and HISA each implemented safety and performance standards to address the spate of deaths.

HISA will conduct additional post-entry screening of horses to identify those at increased risk for injury. Its Integrity and Welfare Unit also will collect blood and hair samples for all fatalities for use while investigating a cause.

Churchill Downs announced it would immediately limit horses to four starts during a rolling eight-week period and impose ineligibility standards for poor performers. The track is also pausing incentives, such as trainer start bonuses and limiting purse payouts to the top five finishers instead of every finisher.

Forte works out, waits for Belmont Stakes clearance

Associated PressMay 27, 2023, 3:14 PM EDT

Matt Stone/USA TODAY NETWORK

NEW YORK — Forte, the early Kentucky Derby favorite who was scratched on the day of the race, worked out in preparation for a possible start in the Belmont Stakes on June 10.

Under regular rider Irad Ortiz Jr., Forte worked five-eighths of a mile for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. It was the colt’s second workout since being scratched from the Derby on May 6.

“It seems like he’s maintained his fitness level,” Pletcher said. “It seems like everything is in good order.”

Forte was placed on a mandatory 14-day veterinary list after being scratched from the Derby because of a bruised right front foot. In order to be removed from the list, the colt had to work in front of a state veterinarian and give a blood sample afterward, the results of which take five days.

“There’s protocols in place and we had to adhere to those and we’re happy that everything went smoothly,” Pletcher said. “We felt confident the horse was in good order or we wouldn’t have been out there twice in the last six days, but you still want to make sure everything went smoothly and we’re happy everything did go well.”

Pletcher said Kingsbarns, who finished 14th in the Kentucky Derby, will miss the Belmont. The colt is showing signs of colic, although he is fine, the trainer said.

Another Pletcher-trained horse, Prove Worthy, is under consideration for the Belmont. He also has Tapit Trice, who finished seventh in the Derby, being pointed toward the Belmont.