A 1960s View of the Belmont Stakes

The Belmont Stakes (gr. I) still has its moments. Heck, it was voted the top sporting event of 2015 in various polls although, of course, it took the first Triple Crown triumph in 37 years to earn those accolades.

Whenever a Triple Crown is on the line, there is an electricity leading up to the race akin to the atmosphere surrounding a heavyweight championship fight or the seventh game of an NBA, NHL, or MLB final series. Unlike those sports, however, the Belmont these days often goes wanting for lack of a Triple Crown champion—and like a Powerball drawing without a winner, the buzz gets stashed back in the pool until next time.

In years such as this with no Triple Crown possibility, there is no doubt the Belmont is a more diminished event than in racing eras past. With the Thoroughbred industry’s shift from family stables to a purely commercial market and the subsequent emphasis on win-early speed, the Belmont’s 12-furlong test is viewed by most as anachronistic, as useful as an IBM Selectric or a roll of film. Save for the spare turf marathon, there is no call in North America for the kind of stamina demanded by the race, and little reason for breeders to attempt to infuse long-windedness into their charges.

Not long ago, horsemen had a far more reverential view of the race, and a certain East Coast faction of traditional owners still value it above the Kentucky Derby (gr. I). While doing research for Blood-Horse’s 100^th anniversary issue due out this summer, we came upon the opinions of several respected horsemen of the early 1960s pertaining to the third jewel of the Triple Crown.

Frank E. Kilroe (racing executive)

“The Belmont has the disadvantage of the being the last of the Triple Crown races, so it is something of a survivors’ race. But I think that over the years the winner of the Belmont goes on to be a top horse and, most of the time, a pretty good stallion. It is a pity that we don’t have more 1 ½-mile races so we can get more confirmed form on it. It’s remarkable, really, considering the mortality of 3-year-olds, that we have so many in it.”

John W. Galbreath (owner, Darby Dan Farm)

“I always think of the Belmont as sort of a World Series for 3-year-olds. We should do more in stamina breeding, and the Belmont is the classic example of what you want to do: Breed for stamina. This race is the proving ground for that stamina.”

Francis P. Dunne (New York racetrack steward)

“Thinking of a horse that you would want to put in stud, I would want to win the Belmont more than any other race for 3-year-olds. How could a horse have a better feather in his cap than to win the Belmont? That’s a trade opinion; certainly it is the opinion within the industry.”

Louis E. Wolfson (owner, won the Triple Crown with Affirmed)

“People talk about the Kentucky Derby being the race, but the Belmont really is the most important. It’s the race to go ahead and show the stamina of a horse. No question the Derby and Preakness are important, but this is the most grueling test of a Thoroughbred. I’d rather have won it than any other race in America—the real test of courage and stamina in a Thoroughbred.”

 C. V. Whitney (owner)

“As things are today, I’d say the two great 3-year-old races are the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont. The Belmont determines the best stayer. This is the classic distance in England and France, and has always rated very high from a breeding point of view in America. Inasmuch as we don’t have many races of that distance, it may not be as important as the Derby in the eyes of the breeder and owner. In this country we haven’t particularly bred for a mile and a half.”

Neil J. Curry (vice chairman, California Horse Racing Board)

“As a breeder, my personal opinion is I’d just as soon win the Belmont as any race. If I could breed a horse on my farm that could win it, I’d think that I had hit the millennium.”

John A. Morris (owner/breeder)

“The theory in England always has been that the Derby is the toughest race. The English want to breed a winner who in turn will breed a winner of the Derby. The Belmont is the same type of race, calling for speed and stamina with the thought that the winner would be the top 3-year-old and the most likely to succeed as a sire.”

Joseph M. Roebling (owner/breeder)

“I’ve been second in it (with Wildlife, 1945) and I’ve been third (Lochinvar, 1942), and I’d rather win it that any other race in the world. It’s a real classic. We’re going to have hopes for it again someday. That is what you are aiming for in breeding and racing.”