By:Susan Lin
Horse racing in an urban center like New York could seem like an odd match, but the reality is, a good number of people here are eagerly anticipating the 133rd Belmont Stakes Saturday at Belmont Park in Elmont.
"I'm a competitive person and I admire the effort the horses put out," said Andrew Byrnes, who is stakes coordinator for the New York Racing Association, the organization that owns and oversees the Belmont Stakes. His job involves finding the horses to compete at Belmont. "And it's just fun to watch them run."
Byrnes said he is rooting for Monarchos to win. Trained by John Ward of Churchill Hills, Ky., Monarchos won the Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May, and his time of 1 minute, 59 4-5 seconds was the second fastest in Derby history. Only the legendary Secretariat, in 1973, ran it faster.
"I think he is the type of horse with a stamina to do this race," Byrnes said, noting that the Belmont Stakes, because of its mile-and-a-half distance, is the most challenging of the three Triple Crown races, which also includes the Preakness Stakes, which Point Given won three weeks ago at Pimlico Race Course outside Baltimore.
The Belmont distance is a quarter-mile longer than the 1 1/4-mile Derby and 5/16ths longer than the Preakness. "It doesn't sound like a lot, but for horses it's a big difference," Byrnes said of the endurance test that the Belmont Stakes is acknowledged to be.
Belmont is also the last leg of the Triple Crown races, and any horse that competed in all three would have run three major races within a five-week period. "That's grueling," Byrnes said. "Not many horses are able to do that."
Besides Monarchos and Point Given, who will be the two favorites, seven other 3-year-old contenders are expected to go to the post in this year's Belmont Stakes.
Before the Belmont Stakes, which begins at 6:05 p.m., there will be a full card of races, beginning at 12:30.
All reserved seats have been announced sold, but you can still attend the event and watch the races from other vantage points on the grounds.
Show up early, though. A Belmont employee said people line up by the gates before they open at 9 a.m. They get the prime spots in the yards, and some even bring lawn chairs.
During the earlier races, Byrnes said, "there's anticipation in the air of a big race coming. It puts everyone in a good mood."
Adding to the excitement, of course, is the money one might wager on a particular horse. According to the Belmont Stakes' Web site, the easiest bet to win is the Show bet. You win if your horse finishes first, second or third. Of course, the payoff is lower, too.
A bit more risky is the Place bet, where you choose a horse you think will finish first or second. And there's also the Win bet, where you win only if your horse does, too.
Then there are the so-called Exotic bets, such as the Pick 6, where you try to guess the winners of six successive races. Do that, and the payoff is pretty. Or how about the Superfecta, where you have to pick the first four finishers of a race in order.
And don't forget the Exacta and the ... Good luck.
Saturday, June 9
first race at 12:30 p.m., Belmont Stakes at 6:05.
Belmont Park in Elmont
www.nyra.com/belmont
Gate opens at 9 a.m.
Standing room: $4 for clubhouse; $2 for grandstand
*admission tix can only be purchased at the gate >
