The Belmont Stakes, the third leg of horse racing's Triple Crown, has run each June since 1867 over a 1.5-mile dirt distance nicknamed the Test of the Champion. Its traditional home is Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, though the race has been temporarily hosted at Saratoga Race Course since 2024 while Belmont Park undergoes a major reconstruction ahead of its planned return.
Its Triple Crown identity gives it national sports significance.
Winning horses are draped in a blanket of roughly 700 white carnations sewn together, a tradition dating to 1904 that gives the race its nickname, the Run for the Carnations
Secretariat's 1973 victory, completed in 2:24 and by a 31-length margin, remains the largest winning margin and fastest time in the race's history and clinched the sport's first Triple Crown in 25 years
Because Belmont Park has been under renovation since 2024, the race has run at Saratoga Race Course for several consecutive years, a notable break from its usual Long Island setting that is scheduled to end when Belmont Park reopens
The winning horse is presented with a blanket of white carnations sewn by a Philadelphia florist and imported from Colombia
a custom in place since 1904 that gives the Belmont its Run for the Carnations nickname
distinguishing it from the roses of the Kentucky Derby and the black-eyed Susans of the Preakness
Dates TBA · Usually June
LIRR and driving options depend on venue.
Garden-party attire is traditional: sundresses, seersucker, blazers and statement hats for those in reserved seating areas, though general admission areas are considerably more casual with...
For Belmont Stakes, choose safe viewing points, watch weather and leave extra time around starts, finishes or releases.
Elmont
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Belmont Stakes is listed for Past edition: 3–7 June 2026. Always re-check the official or local source close to travel.
The festival is listed in Elmont, United States. The map coordinate is a planning reference, not a guarantee of a ticket gate or exact venue.
5 days is the listed festival span. Add time for arrival, local transport, queues, and any route changes during the event.
Official source linked. Eventisimus separates source confidence from travel suggestions, so check final details before booking.
Elmont, NY
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