10 Things You Didn’t Know About The Belmont Stakes

David Heim

The Belmont Stakes, held at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, is the third race of the Triple Crown in professional horse racing. The mile and a half race is held every year in June, and in some cases, receives hype around a particular horse vying for the coveted Triple Crown. In 2015, most know that American Pharoah is the latest horse with aspirations of that honor. Here are some facts that you might not know about the Belmont Stakes

1. In early years, the Belmont States was run clockwise, like races in England. The first counterclockwise Belmont Stakes was run in 1921.

2. Only seven women have trained Belmont Stakes horses. Dianne Carpenter showed the best with Kingpost, who finished second to Risen Star in 1988.

3. The Belmont Stakes raced with only two horses in the field five times — 1887, 1888, 1892…