The horses head down the stretch in the 2012 Belmont Stakes (photo by twi-ny/mdr)
Friday, June 7, Grand Central Terminal, Vanderbilt Hall, free, 8:00 am – 8:00 pm
Saturday, June 8, Belmont Park, 2150 Hempstead Tpke., Elmont, $20-$120, first race at 11:35 am
516-488-6000
www.belmontstakes.com
The Belmont Stakes are set for Saturday, when the eleventh race of the day will feature Kentucky Derby winner Orb, who finished fourth at the Preakness, battling it out with Preakness victor Oxbow, who came in sixth at Churchill Downs. But the bigger story might be taking place among the jockeys, as Rosie Napravnik becomes the first woman to ride in all three Triple Crown races in the same year, hoisting herself atop filly Unlimited Budget; Napravnik rode Mylute to a fifth-place finish in the derby and third in the Preakness. The morning line currently has Orb, once again ridden by Joel Rosario, at 5-2, Oxbow, with Hall of Famer Gary Stevens in the saddle, at 6-1, and Unlimited Budget at 12-1; other contenders include Revolutionary (5-1) and Freedom Child (8-1), with various other horses at 12-1, 15-1, and higher. Even with rain expected on Saturday, there’s nothing quite like going to the park, where you can get up close and personal with the horses as they proudly parade around the paddock before each race; in addition to the $1 million Belmont Stakes, the afternoon includes the $500,000 Woodford Reserve Manhattan Handicap, the $400,000 Woody Stephens, the $500,000 Longines Just a Game, and the $400,000 True North Handicap, among other contests. And getting there is easy on the Long Island Rail Road. You can get ready for the festivities the day before, when the Belmont Stakes Fan Festival canters into Grand Central Terminal’s Vanderbilt Hall, where visitors can participate in the Twitter sweepstakes Tweet to the Finish (with winners receiving Belmont tickets), get their picture taken in the winner’s circle, ride a mechanical pony in a Mini Belmont Race called by Larry Lederman, and run in place to guide a horse to victory in the Stakes Stampede.