Belmont Stakes Day Generates $67.7 Million in Handle
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Photo: Skip Dickstein
The post parade for the Belmont Stakes in front of empty stands at Belmont Park
The June 20 Belmont Stakes Day card, which was rescheduled from its original date due to the coronavirus pandemic closures and featured 12 races and six graded stakes, highlighted by Tiz the Law's victory in the 152nd running of the $1 million Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1), generated all-sources handle of $67,753,336.
Tiz the Law, the 3-year-old colt owned by Sackatoga Stable based in Saratoga Springs, became the first New York-bred to capture the Belmont Stakes since 1882.
To align with required health and safety measures implemented in New York to mitigate risk and combat the spread of COVID-19, the Belmont Stakes Day card was held without spectators. To properly account for the schedule adjustments made in response to the pandemic, the Belmont was run at a distance of 1 1/8 miles instead of the traditional 1 1/2-mile test.
Normally, Belmont Day is held on the first Saturday of June, but Belmont Park delayed its spring meet until June 3, which was the first live racing in New York since March 15.
For the first time in history, the race known as the Test of the Champion served as the opening leg of the Triple Crown, with the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) moved to Sept. 5 at Churchill Downs and the Preakness (G1) rescheduled for Oct. 3 at Pimlico Race Course.
All-sources handle on the 152nd Belmont Stakes was $34,088,475, and the average field size was 8.17 starters per race. This year's handle declined by 33.7% a year after NYRA realized record all-sources handle in 2019 at $102,163,280.