Category: Belmont Stakes

Dornoch, Horse Owned by Ex-MLB All-Star Jayson Werth, Wins 2024 Belmont Stakes
9 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Dornoch, Horse Owned by Ex-MLB All-Star Jayson Werth, Wins 2024 Belmont Stakes

The 156th running of the Belmont Stakes ended in upset fashion Saturday at Saratoga Race Course, with underdog Dornoch besting the field to claim the victory.

Taking off from the sixth post position, Dornoch was neck-and-neck with Preakness Stakers winner Seize the Grey for most of the race. The horse, jockeyed by Luis Saez, broke free on the final turn and beat out Mindframe and Sierra Leone for the win.

Dornoch entered the race with 15-1 odds to win, per FanDuel, which ranked eighth in the 10-horse race. Sierra Leone, which finished in third place, was the slight favorite.

Dornoch is owned in part by former MLB All-Star Jayson Werth, who played 1,583 games for four teams from 2002 to '17. Werth won the 2008 World Series with the Philadelphia Phillies. He is now a Belmont Stakes winner.

"I would put it right up there with winning on the biggest stage," Werth said on the FOX broadcast. "Horse racing is the most underrated sport in the world, bar none... This is as good as it gets in horse racing; this is as good as it gets in sports."

Dornoch's victory Saturday in the Belmont Stakes marked an end to this year's Triple Crown races.

Belmont Stakes, Horse Racing, Philadelphia Phillies
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Idina Menzel Singing 'New York, New York' at Belmont Stakes Draws Mixed Fan Reactions
8 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Idina Menzel Singing ‘New York, New York’ at Belmont Stakes Draws Mixed Fan Reactions

Each of the United States' three Triple Crown horse races—in an only-in-America touch—has, or has had in the past, its own signature song.

The Kentucky Derby has "My Old Kentucky Home," a Stephen Foster ballad popular during the Civil War. The Preakness Stakes formerly had the martial, pro-Confederate "Maryland, My Maryland"—finally jettisoned in 2020.

The Belmont Stakes, however, has the people's champion—the beloved "New York, New York," made famous by Frank Sinatra in 1980. Its fame, on par with "Happy Birthday," makes it hard to butcher.

However, many fans weren't feeling Broadway legend Idina Menzel's rendition before the Belmont Stakes Saturday. You can judge for yourself here.

Some compared it to the most infamous sports vocal performance of this century—Fergie's national anthem at the 2018 NBA All-Star Game.

Sinatra's version was used as a point of reference (although to be fair, who could hope to compete with Frank Sinatra?)

A few fans noted that Fox's audio setup did Menzel no favors (this appeared especially true on the last verse).

All told, theatre and horse racing made strange bedfellows.

Even fans of Menzel had to concede it wasn't the finest hour for a vocal powerhouse.

Belmont Stakes, Horse Racing, Idina Menzel
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Belmont Stakes 2024: Full List of Competitors, Odds, Post Time, How to Watch
8 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Belmont Stakes 2024: Full List of Competitors, Odds, Post Time, How to Watch

The 156th running of the Belmont Stakes, the final leg of the 2024 Triple Crown, will take place on Saturday afternoon in Saratoga Springs, NY.

The race will certainly feel a little different this year in Saratoga rather than Belmont Park, as the race has temporarily moved due to a $455 million renovation to the Belmont track.

Saturday's race will have a different feel not only in location, but in distance. Since the race will take place at Saratoga Race Course, it will be a much shorter running than the usual 1.5 mile sprint.

Instead of being the longest race of the Triple Crown, it will be 1.25 miles this year, which is the same distance as the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.

Now that we got the background of this year's unique Belmont Stakes out of the way, here's some additional pertinent information about Saturday's race itself.

This year's Belmont will feature both the winner of the Kentucky Derby, Mystik Dan, as well as the winner of the Preakness Stakes, Seize The Grey.

However, the morning line favorite at the Belmont Stakes is neither of the two previous Triple Crown race winners. Instead, it's Sierra Leone, who is a 9-5 betting favorite.

Below is a list of all the horses competing in the 2024 Belmont Stakes, along with their morning line odds, courtesy of the Belmont Stakes' official website.

Seize The Grey: 8-1

Resilience: 10-1

Mystik Dan: 5-1

The Wine Steward: 15-1

Antiquarian: 12-1

Dornoch: 15-1

Protective: 20-1

Honor Marie: 12-1

Sierra Leone: 9-5

Mindframe: 7-2

Saturday's post time for the 156th Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course is at 6:41 p.m. ET.

The 2024 Belmont Stakes will be nationally televised live on Fox.

Belmont Stakes, Horse Racing, Triple Crown
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Belmont Stakes Ticket Prices 2024: How Much Does It Cost to Attend?
8 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Belmont Stakes Ticket Prices 2024: How Much Does It Cost to Attend?

The final leg of the Triple Crown is here—although it looks a little different than in years past.

This year's Belmont Stakes, the last of the three meaningful horse races of the year behind the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, is not being held at its classic location of Belmont Park. Instead, the race will be held at Saratoga, a track quite used to large crowds and big races. Belmont Park is undergoing renovations this year so the race shifted to Saratoga.

There are no horses competing to complete the Triple Crown this year after Mystik Dan won the Derby and Seize the Grey took the top spot at Preakness. But it's still set to be a great day of horse racing.

How much would it cost to meander on up to Saratoga and buy tickets to see the Belmont Stakes play out? Here's the breakdown of the ticket prices.

You can find the various pricing options available through the Belmont Stakes website, which then redirects to Ticketmaster. There, general admission tickets are currently going for $64.35, or $55 before fees. The GA ticket gets you onto the grounds where you can enjoy all the basic amenities the course has to offer, and offers standing room access for the Clubhouse, Grandstand, and Backyard areas.

However, there are alternative options if you were interested in a more elevated experience.

For a prime view at the final turn, you'll want a ticket for the Cutwater Stretch Grandstand. It's an exclusive private hospitality area with a buffet, cash bar, and private betting areas. Prices vary for the Cutwater Stretch; the cheapest available is $556 after fees and the priciest, which secures you a front-row seat in the Grandstand right at the turn itself, is going for $2,574.

Should you really want to ball out, you can rent out a Spa Veranda on top of the Grandstand at the final turn. Each veranda can host up to 50 guests apiece and comes with "an all-inclusive platter and premium open bar package." They are available starting at $5,500.

If proximity to the finish line is all that matters, you better have bought your tickets a while ago. The only luxury seating area located directly next to the finish line is The Porch, which sold out well in advance. However, there are tickets still available for the 1863 Club, which is just past the finish line. A ticket to get in the door there is going for $2,020.

All in all, as was the case with the Derby and Preakness, it is not altogether unreasonable to simply get through the gates to see the race. The bill runs high when you start branching out into additional amenities. But if you wanted to just see the horses, $65 is all that it'll cost.

Enjoy the race!

Belmont Stakes, Horse Racing, Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes
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SI Studios to Release Documentary on Life of Famed Female Jockey Julie Krone
6 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

SI Studios to Release Documentary on Life of Famed Female Jockey Julie Krone

Sports Illustrated Studios, a division of Authentic Studios, in partnership with Spyglass Media Group, will produce an exclusive documentary on the life of renowned female horse jockey Julie Krone, the entertainment company announced on Thursday.

The documentary will highlight the numerous accomplishments of Krone, who is the only female jockey to win a Triple Crown race when she rode Colonial Affair to victory in the 1993 Belmont Stakes. Disaster would strike shortly thereafter however, as Krone was thrown from her horse and trampled during a race later that year, leaving her with devastating injuries and a fight for her life.

Krone returned to the saddle in 1994 after months of rehabilitation and healing, and went on to ride competitively for another decade. She bookended her career by becoming the first woman to win a Breeders' Cup race in 2003. She concluded her illustrious tenure with 3,704 professional wins and was the first woman inducted into the Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, New York.

"We are thrilled to bring Julie's incredible story to audiences across the world," Colin Smeeton, the president of Authentic Studios said in the press release. "Her resilience, skill, and passion have left an indelible mark on the sport of horse racing and serve as an inspiration to athletes everywhere."

The release date of the documentary has yet to be announced.

Julie Krone, Horse Racing Jockey Sports Illustrated CoverJulie Krone, Horse Racing Jockey Sports Illustrated Cover

Sports Illustrated Cover Horse Racing: Closeup portrait of jockey Julie Krone (7) at Aqueduct Race Track. Jamaica, NY 4/18/1989 CREDIT: Heinz Kluetmeier (Photo by Heinz Kluetmeier /Sports Illustrated) (Set Number: X38124 TK5 ) / Sports Illustrated Cover

Belmont Stakes, Horse Racing, Julie Krone, Sports Illustrated
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The Belmont Stakes 2024: Odds, Horses and Post Positions (Sierra Leone Favored)
4 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

The Belmont Stakes 2024: Odds, Horses and Post Positions (Sierra Leone Favored)

The final leg of the Triple Crown -- the 2024 Belmont Stakes -- takes place this weekend, but there won't be a Triple Crown Winner.

Still, both the Kentucky Derby Winner (Mystik Dan) and the Preakness Stakes Winner (Seize the Grey) will race at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York on Saturday.

Despite both winners of the first two legs racing, it's Kentucky Derby runner up Sierra Leone that has the top spot in the opening odds.

With post positions now official, here's a look at the field for the Belmont Stakes as well as the odds for each horse competing.

  1. Seize the Grey
  2. Resilience
  3. Mystik Dan
  4. The Wine Steward
  5. Antiquarian
  6. Dornoch
  7. Protective
  8. Honor Marie
  9. Sierra Leone
  10. Mindframe

Sierra Leone has three first place finishes and two second place finishes in five career starts, with the most recent race it participated in coming at the Kentucky Derby.

Since Sierra Leone didn't run in the Preakness, could it have an edge against some of the competition that has ran in both?

While neither Mystik Dan or Seize the Grey is favored in this race, they both are near the top of the odds. Mystik Dan clocks in at No. 3 at 5-1 while Seize the Grey is No. 4 at 8-1.

Mindfram (7-2) is an interesting No. 2 option, as the horse won both of its previous starts in 2024, although it did not run in either the Kentucky Derby or the Preakness.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Belmont Stakes, Horse Racing, Mystik Dan, Odds, Seize the Grey, Sierra Leone
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