Run for the Glory: Top 5 Fastest Belmont Stakes Finishers in History

The Fastest Runners at the "Test of the Champion"

As the third and
final jewel of the Triple Crown races, winning the Belmont Stakes is sure to
give the winner the well-deserved accolade and prestige. But racing down all
the way to the finish line faster than anyone else in the history of the event
is another level and undoubtedly one for the books.

The Belmont Stakes
has the reputation of being the most challenging race among the Triple Crown
events. Horses run the distance of 1 ½-mile - the longest in American
thoroughbred racing - to the finish line.

Also known as the
“Test of the Champion,” the finale of the Triple Crown series is a display of
endurance, stamina, and speed. It’s essential that a horse maintains its speed
throughout the duration of the competition. If you want to know the victors which
finish the fastest in the history of Belmont Stakes, read on below.

Point Given (2001)

To get the
much-coveted Triple Crown, a competitor needs to finish at the first place of
the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes races. Thus, jockey
Gary Stevens, wasn’t in complete satisfaction when he won the Belmont Stakes
event in 2001.

Although his horse,
Point Given, got the top spots in Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes, Point
Given only finished fifth in the Kentucky Derby because of a foot infection.
But at the finale of the Triple Crown series, Point Given made one of the
fastest records in Belmont Stakes.

The victor came out
of the gate with no hassle and raced down into third place in the early stages
of the event. His rivals gassed out later, and Point Given charged ahead of
them.

At the final stretch,
the other horses slowed down, making it clear to the audience watching as the
event unfolds that Point Given was the winner. Point Given completed the race
with an official time of 2:26.56.

Risen Star (1988)

Risen Star is sired
by Secretariat, the fastest horse in the history of Belmont Stakes. Risen Star
placed third in the Kentucky Derby and grabbed the first spot in the Preakness
Stakes.

Risen Star was not
the top favorite to win the Belmont Stakes due to the uncertainty of his
handling. Before the event, he got a minor ankle injury, which led him to miss
two days of training and a key workout.

However, the colt
gave a historical performance in Belmont Stakes. He won by 14 ¾ lengths over
Kingpost and put on record the fourth fastest time in the third leg of the
Triple Crown series.

A.P. Indy (1992)

Excellence is running
through the blood of the 1992 Belmont Stakes winner A.P. Indy.

His shire, Seattle
Slew, was the victor of the Belmont Stakes in 1977. Then A.P. Indy went on to
sire the first filly to win the Belmont Stakes in over a century, Rags to
Riches. In other words, A.P. Indy is part of the three-generation family of
Belmont Stakes winners.

After getting the
victory in the 1992 Belmont Stakes with an official time of 2:26.13, the colt
next took the top spot in the Breeder’s Cup within the same year, which helped
him to gain the prestige of being awarded the 1992 American Horse of the Year.

Easy Goer (1989)

In 1989, the audience
at Belmont Park witnessed one of the greatest upsets in the sport of horse
racing. Sunday Silence, who was one jewel away to complete the Triple Crown,
was defeated by Easy Goer.

Easy Goer only
finished second to Sunday Silence in both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness
Stakes. However, in the finale of the Triple Crown series, Easy Goer gave his
best performance and became the party pooper to Sunday Silence’s Triple Crown
dreams.

In the early stages
of the race, Sunday Silence took the lead over his competitors but was later
outrun by Easy Goer. All the way to the finish line, Easy Goer was relentless,
beating Sunday Silence by eight lengths and made the record as the second
fastest winners of the Belmont Stakes with an official time of 2:26.00.

Secretariat (1973)

Secretariat was the
fastest racehorse to ever complete the 1 ½-mile distance of the Belmont Stakes
race. And it seems that his record is the hardest thing to break.

The phenomenal colt
ended the 25-year Triple Crown drought in 1973, setting speed records in all
three events. But the most awe-inspiring performance of Secretariat was in
Belmont Stakes. He won by 31 lengths ahead of Twice a Prince with an official
time of 2:24.00.

Takeaway

Many record-setting performances already happened in the Belmont Stakes. This coming June 8, will the fastest speed records mentioned above be broken? If you want to witness this electrifying event in the sport of horse racing, you can watch it live at the Belmont Park in Elmont, New York this year, or you can see it online at Watch TVG.