Top Ten Belmont Stakes since 1978

Rags to Riches, above on the outside, defeated Curlin in one of the best Belmont Stakes in recent history. (Photo by Horsephotos.com)

With California Chrome on the precipice of racing immortality, let’s take a look back at some of the top moments in the Belmont Stakes since the last sweep of the Triple Crown by Affirmed in 1978.

Disagree with my choices?

Feel free to chime in below in the comments section with you favorite moments and make a case for your top Belmont Stakes.

10. 2001 Belmont Stakes (Point Given)

After spoiling Monarchos’ shot at the 2001 Triple Crown by winning the Preakness in Baltimore, Point Given came to Belmont Park looking to cement himself as the dominant 3-year-old of his generation ... and cement himself he did. Point Given (who entered the Hall of Fame in 2010) won the 2001 Belmont by more than a dozen lengths and followed that victory with wins in both the Haskell Invitational and Travers Stakes later that summer on his way to being both champion 3-year-old male and Horse of the Year that season.  After performances like these, you are forced to wonder “what could have been” had Point Given run to the best of his ability in the Kentucky Derby.

9. 2007 Belmont Stakes (Rags to Riches)

Kentucky Oaks winner Rags to Riches won the Belmont Stakes in 2007, and by doing so became the first filly to win the Belmont since Tanya in 1905. This race was also significant as it was trainer Todd Pletcher’s first win in a Triple Crown race, and Rags to Riches was able to defeat future two-time Horse of the Year Curlin in the process.
 
8. 1993 Belmont Stakes (Colonial Affair)

The 1993 Belmont Stakes can be summed up in two words: Julie Krone. By winning with her mount, Colonial Affair, Julie Krone became the only female jockey ever to win a Triple Crown race. Do you recognize the gold and red silks that Krone wore aboard Colonial Affair? Those are the silks of Centennial Farms, who will be represented again in the 2014 Belmont with Wicked Strong.
 
7. 1986 Belmont Stakes (Danzig Connection)

Similar to 1993, the 1986 Belmont Stakes can also be summed up in two words: Woody Stephens. By winning the 1986 Belmont with Danzig Connection, trainer Woody Stephens completed a streak of winning five consecutive Belmont Stakes (a streak that almost certainly will never be beaten). Stephens other Belmont winners were Conquistador Cielo (1982), Caveat (1983), Swale (1984), and Crème Fraiche (1985). Stephens’ legacy regarding the Belmont Stakes is honored on the big day as the Woody Stephens Stakes is a race on the Belmont Stakes undercard.
 
6. 2003 Belmont Stakes (Empire Maker)

Empire Maker may go down in history as one of the greatest “spoilers” of all time. New-York-bred Funny Cide was the pride of the Empire State and had a chance to complete the Triple Crown on his home surface at Belmont Park in 2003 after winning both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. Empire Maker had other ideas. Under eerie gray skies and over an extremely sloppy racetrack, Empire Maker overtook Funny Cide at the top of the stretch and won the 2003 Belmont with Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey.  Empire Maker went on to run only once more before retiring to stud duty.
 
5. 1997 Belmont Stakes (Touch Gold)

The 1997 Belmont Stakes was special, as no horse had come to New York with a chance to win the Triple Crown since 1989. Silver Charm won both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness and was poised to join racing immortality for hall-of-fame trainer Bob Baffert and hall-of-fame jockey Gary Stevens. However, Touch Gold upset the apple cart by winning the 1997 Belmont under another Hall of Famer, Chris McCarron. Touch Gold’s owner was Frank Stronach, who currently owns both Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita Park. 

4. 1989 Belmont Stakes (Easy Goer)

New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Dodgers. Atlantic vs. Pacific. Notorious B.I.G. vs. Tupac. East Coast vs. West Coast rivalries always add intrigue, and the same can be said about the 1989 Triple Crown season and Sunday Silence vs. Easy Goer. Sunday Silence came to Belmont Park having already won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, but his arch-nemesis Easy Goer was waiting for him. Under Hall of Fame jockey Pat Day and for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey, Easy Goer successfully protected his home turf and prevented Sunday Silence from becoming the 12th Triple Crown winner.
 
3. 1979 Belmont Stakes (Coastal)

Imagine how things must have been in the late 1970s: Seattle Slew had won the Triple Crown in 1977, Affirmed again in 1978, and in 1979 Spectacular Bid (aka “the greatest horse to ever look through a bridle”) came to Belmont Park looking like a cinch to become racing’s third consecutive Triple Crown winner. Everything must’ve seemed so easy.  Coastal, however, desired to put his own stamp on the Belmont Stakes, and successfully dethroned Spectacular Bid from his lofty perch. We have yet to see another Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978.
 
2. 2004 Belmont Stakes (Birdstone)

I don’t know if I have ever felt the “buzz” and excitement of a racetrack through a television set more than I did while watching the 2004 Belmont Stakes at Calder Race Course in Miami, Fla. Smarty Jones, the city of Philadelphia’s favorite horse, came to Belmont Park looking to win the Triple Crown and more than 120,000 fans were on track to see it. At the top of the stretch, Smarty Jones looked like he was on his way to victory, but the race is not over at the top of the stretch. Birdstone wore Smarty Jones down very late in the race, denied him the Triple Crown, and showed the world why the Belmont Stakes is called the “Test of the Champion.”
 
1. 1998 Belmont Stakes (Victory Gallop)

“A picture is worth a thousand words. This photo is worth FIVE MILLION DOLLARS!” Just a year before in 1997, trainer Bob Baffert was denied the Triple Crown with his colt Silver Charm, but he was back again in 1998 with another chance at winning the Triple Crown with Real Quiet. In one of the most thrilling stretch runs in racing history, Ontario-bred Victory Gallop was able to defeat Real Quiet by the absolute slimmest of margins and continue the Triple Crown drought.