2021 Belmont Stakes - Misplaced Pages

153rd running of the Belmont Stakes

Horse race

153rd Belmont Stakes
Belmont Stakes
Grade I stakes race
"The Test of the Champion"
Location	Belmont Park Elmont, New York, United States
Date	June 5, 2021 (2021-06-05)
Distance	1+1⁄2 mi (12 furlongs; 2,414 m)
Winning horse	Essential Quality
Winning time	2:27.11
Final odds	1.30 (to 1)
Jockey	Luis Saez
Trainer	Brad H. Cox
Owner	Godolphin Stables
Conditions	Fast
Surface	Dirt
← 2020 2022 →

The 2021 Belmont Stakes was the 153rd running of the Belmont Stakes and the 110th time the event took place at Belmont Park. The 1+1⁄2-mile (2,400 m) race, known as the "test of the champion", is the final leg in the American Triple Crown, open to three-year-old Thoroughbreds. The race was won by Essential Quality.

The race took place on June 5, 2021, in Elmont, New York, with an actual start time of 6:50 p.m. EDT; television coverage was by NBC. It was a Grade I stakes race with a purse of $1.5 million. Entering the race, it was known that there would be no Triple Crown winner, as the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes had already been won by different horses.

Background

Due to effects from the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 edition was contested as the first leg of the Triple Crown, on June 20 without spectators. The 2021 Triple Crown races returned to their traditional sequence and schedule, with Medina Spirit winning the 2021 Kentucky Derby on May 1, and Rombauer winning the 2021 Preakness Stakes on May 15. A week after the Derby, it was announced that Medina Spirit had tested positive for betamethasone, a corticosteroid, and stands to be disqualified if the split sample confirms the positive; with that result still pending, Medina Spirit submitted to additional testing and was allowed to run in the Preakness.

Attendance for the Belmont was set at a maximum of 11,000 spectators, with attendees required to provide proof of their COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test.

Field

Several horses that ran in the Derby and then bypassed the Preakness were possible entrants in the Belmont: Mandaloun, Hot Rod Charlie, Essential Quality, and O Besos.

On May 17, the New York Racing Association (NYRA) banned trainer Bob Baffert from entering any horses in races in the state of New York. The ban had not been lifted by June 5 and so prevented Medina Spirit or Concert Tour from running in the Belmont. The same day, Preakness winner Rombauer and seventh-place finisher France Go de Ina arrived at Belmont Park. On May 18, owners of Kentucky Oaks winner Malathaat stated that the filly would not be entered in the Belmont.

With a maximum field size of 16 horses, the post-position draw was held on June 1. Essential Quality, the fourth-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby, was installed as the 2–1 morning line favorite.

Results

Finish	Program number	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Morning line odds	Final odds	Margin	Winnings
1	2	Essential Quality	Brad Cox	Luis Saez	2–1	1.30	—	$800,000
2	4	Hot Rod Charlie	Doug O'Neill	Flavien Prat	7–2	4.80	1+1⁄4	$280,000
3	3	Rombauer	Michael W. McCarthy	John R. Velazquez	3–1	5.70	12+1⁄2	$150,000
4	6	Known Agenda	Todd Pletcher	Jose L. Ortiz‡	6–1	6.60	13+1⁄4	$100,000
5	1	Bourbonic	Todd Pletcher	Kendrick Carmouche	15–1	14.70	15+1⁄2	$60,000
6	7	Rock Your World	John Sadler	Joel Rosario	9–2	5.00	22	$45,000
7	8	Overtook	Todd Pletcher	Manuel Franco	20–1	19.00	25+1⁄4	$35,000
8	5	France Go de Ina	Hideyuki Mori	Ricardo Santana Jr.	30–1	27.25	eased	$30,000

‡ Known Agenda was planned to be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., but the jockey suffered an injury two days before the race.

Track: Fast

Times: 1⁄4 mile – 22.78; 1⁄2 mile – 46.49; 3⁄4 mile – 1:12.07; mile – 1:37.40; 1+1⁄4 miles – 2:02.38; final – 2:27.11
Splits for each quarter-mile: (22.78) (23.71) (25.58) (25.33) (24.98) (24.73)

Source:

Payouts

Program number	Horse name	Win	Place	Show
2	Essential Quality	$4.60	$3.00	$2.60
4	Hot Rod Charlie	–	$4.10	$2.90
3	Rombauer	–	–	$3.50

$1 Exacta: (2–4) $7.50
$1 Trifecta: (2–4–3) $21.70
$1 Superfecta: (2–4–3–6) $60.70

Source:

References

^ "Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets". equibase.com. June 5, 2021. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
Buhler, John (May 15, 2021). "When is the Belmont Stakes 2021?". FanSided. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
^ Bruton, Michelle (May 15, 2021). "2021 Belmont Stakes: Early Odds and Predictions Following Preakness". Bleacher Report. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
Layden, Tim (June 21, 2020). "On a day with no fans at Belmont, Tiz the Law wins for Everyman". NBC Sports. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
Hackbarth, Chelsea (May 1, 2021). "$1,000 Medina Spirit Gives Baffert A Record Seventh Set Of Roses; Velazquez Rides Oaks-Derby Double". Paulick Report. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
Paulick, Ray (May 15, 2021). "Rombauer Upsets 146th Preakness With Powerful Stretch Run". Paulick Report. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
Whyno, Stephen (May 15, 2021). "Medina Spirit passes drug tests, cleared to run in Preakness that's back to semi-normal". WLS-TV. AP. Archived from the original on May 15, 2021. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
"Belmont Stakes to have at least 11,000 fans". NBC Sports. AP. May 4, 2021. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
"Trainer Bob Baffert banned from entering Medina Spirit, other horses at Belmont Park". ESPN.com. AP. May 17, 2021. Retrieved May 17, 2021.
Martin, Ryan (May 17, 2021). "Grade 1 Preakness-winner Rombauer arrives at Belmont Park". belmontstakes.com. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
Hughes, Alicia (May 18, 2021). "Kentucky Oaks Winner Malathaat to Bypass Belmont Stakes". TVG Network. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
Frakes, Jason (May 20, 2021). "Check out possible field for Belmont, led by Rombauer, Essential Quality, Hot Rod Charlie". courier-journal.com. Louisville Courier Journal. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
Frakes, Jason (June 1, 2021). "Here are the 2021 Belmont Stakes post position draw, lineup, odds and entries for full field". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
^ "Rock Your World Should Be Tough to Catch in Belmont Stakes". www.americasbestracing.net. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
King, Byron (June 5, 2021). "Jose Ortiz Picks up Mount on Known Agenda in Belmont". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved June 5, 2021.

External links

Official website
Belmont Stakes 2021 (full race) from NBC Sports via YouTube

v t e Belmont Stakes
Jerome Park	1867 1868 1869 1870 1871 1872 1873 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889
Morris Park	1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904
Belmont Park	1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 ~~1911~~ ~~1912~~ 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962
Aqueduct	1963 1964 1965 1966 1967
Belmont Park	1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Saratoga	2024
Related	Top three finishers Broadcasters August Belmont Trophy "The Sidewalks of New York" "Theme from New York, New York" Triple Crown
Belmont Stakes Winners

Thoroughbred Racing on NBC

Related programs

NBCSN's races	Black-Eyed Susan Stakes Brooklyn Invitational Stakes Kentucky Oaks

Commentators

Key figures

Race callers	Larry Collmus Trevor Denman Tom Durkin
Hosts	Marv Albert Bob Costas Dick Enberg Tom Hammond Dave Johnson Rebecca Lowe Mike Tirico
Analysts	Pete Axthelm Jerry Bailey Chris McCarron Randy Moss Bob Neumeier Michael O'Hehir Eddie Olczyk Brough Scott Mike E. Smith Gary Stevens Jack Van Berg
Reporters	Mike Battaglia Michelle Beadle Donna Barton Brothers Charlsie Cantey Jim Cantore Jac Collinsworth Dylan Dreyer Josh Elliott Ahmed Fareed Gayle Gardner Terry Leibel Tara Lipinski Nick Luck Maria Menounos Natalie Morales Jay Randolph Kenny Rice Coco Rocha Catt Sadler Elfi Schlegel Melissa Stark John M. Veitch Krista Voda Johnny Weir Jenna Wolfe Rutledge Wood

Music

David Arkenstone

Categories: