Belmont Stakes

The New York Racing Association has released updated ticket and hospitality options for the 2021 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. The newly available ticket inventory reflects updated New York State guidance for large outdoor events that allows for fully vaccinated stadium sections to operate at full capacity. In accordance with those guidelines, which take effect May 19, NYRA has updated its inventory to include availability within hospitality areas such as the Marquee Tent and individual reserved seat sections in the clubhouse that will be designated as fully vaccinated. To purchase tickets...

After a few hours of sleep, trainer Michael McCarthy was back at Pimlico Race Course Sunday morning, quietly talking about Rombauer (Twirling Candy)'s emphatic victory in the 146th GI Preakness S. Saturday and looking ahead to the June 5GI Belmont Stakes. Bred and raced by John and Diane Fradkin, Rombauer rallied to a convincing 3 1/2-length score Saturday and stopped the clock in 1:53.62, the eighth-fastest time since the race distance was changed to 1 3/16 miles in 1925. While McCarthy, 50, acquired plenty of experience in Triple Crown races...

With 7-5 morning-line favorite Risk Taking (Medaglia d'Oro) expected to scratch in favor of the GI Preakness S. per a report in Daily Racing Form, only five will remain for Saturday's GIII Peter Pan S., the local prep for the GI Belmont S. Nova Rags (Union Rags), winner of Tampa's seven-furlong Pasco S. Jan. 16, followed a good runner-up finish in the GIII Sam F. Davis S. Feb. 6 with a fourth-place finish in the GI Curlin Florida Derby Mar. 27. The chestnut's resume also includes a debut win sprinting...

Malathaat (Curlin), the undefeated filly who is coming off a win in the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks, could go next in the June 5 GI Belmont S. "It has crossed our minds," Shadwell Farms Vice President and General Manager Rick Nichols said of the Belmont. "One issue would be whether or not we could get John Velazquez. If Medina Spirit (Protonico) wins the [GI] Preakness Stakes., obviously John will have to choose him for the Belmont. No one would blame him for choosing that horse." Nichols said a final decision...

The New York Racing Association (NYRA) announced Tuesday that a limited number of tickets for the 2021 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will go on sale to the public on Thursday, May 6 starting at 10 a.m. ET via Ticketmaster.com. The three-day festival kicks off Thursday, June 3 and is headlined, of course, by the GI Belmont S. June 5. NYRA will offer advance pre-sale opportunities to 2020 Belmont Stakes ticket buyers, along with NYRA Bets Elite, Preferred and Bronze members, beginning on Wednesday, May 5. Eligible groups will be notified...

Trainer Brad Cox told Steve Byk on At the Races Tuesday morning that champion Essential Quality (Tapit), fourth in the GI Kentucky Derby as the 29-10 favorite, will skip the GI Preakness S. May 15. The grey could be considered for the GI Belmont S. June 5, with Godolphin's Jimmy Bell telling TVG's Alicia Hughes that the Belmont is "part of the conversation, but that's not definitive at all. We're skipping the Preakness, that's for sure. Our primary goal is to run in the [Aug. 28 GI] Travers and we'll...

Zedan Racing's Medina Spirit (Protonico) exited his win in Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby in fine shape, according to trainer Bob Baffert, who said he would wait a week before committing the colt to the May 15 GI Preakness S. "He came out of it well," Baffert said Sunday morning. "It takes about a week to determine, so I'm going to come back next weekend and see. But I don't see anything discouraging right now." Baffert continued, "Can he win the Triple Crown? I don't know. But he's the Derby winner,...

America's Day at the Races, produced by the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) in partnership with FOX Sports, will present live racing throughout the 48-day Belmont Park spring/summer meet that will run from Thursday, Apr. 22 through Sunday, July 11. The network will also feature live racing from the 38-day Churchill Downs spring meet that runs Apr. 24 to June 26, as well as continued coverage of the 57-day Oaklawn Park which runs through May 1. Each live racing day at Belmont Park will feature coverage on FS2, which...

Godolphin's G2 UAE Derby winner Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) will bypass the May 1 GI Kentucky Derby and instead target the third leg of the U.S. Triple Crown, the GI Belmont S. on June 5. Rebel's Romance, who is ineligible for the European Classics as a gelding, had been assured a spot in the starting gate at Churchill Downs after earning 100 Kentucky Derby qualifying points for his 5 1/2-length UAE Derby win on Mar. 27. Godolphin has two other colts in the current top 20 by Kentucky Derby...

Did you notice that Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}), the big Saudi Cup winner on Saturday, is a member of his sire's first crop? A 4-year-old homebred for Prince A. A. Faisal's Nawara Stud, Mishriff is by the Faisal-raced Make Believe, a Dubawi (Ire)-line stallion at Ballylinch Stud in Ireland. Last year, Mishriff won the G1 Prix du Jockey-Club, the French Derby equivalent, and is one of three first-crop winners of that Classic in the last five years, along with Brametot (Ire) (Rajsaman {Fr}) in 2017 and Almanzor (Fr) (Wootton...

The stakes schedule for the 48-day Belmont Park spring/summer meet will feature 59 total stakes races worth $16.95 million in purses. The spring/summer meet will begin Thursday, Apr. 22 and continue through Sunday, July 11. On Feb. 10, New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced that live sports and entertainment venues will be permitted to re-open to a limited number of spectators beginning Feb. 23. In order for qualifying venues to re-open, those sites must gain New York State Department of Health approval and limit the number of spectators to...

Led by 2-year-old champion and two-time Grade I winner Essential Quality (Tapit), a total of 326 3-year-olds were made eligible to compete in this year's Triple Crown during the early nomination phase, which closed Jan. 23. Each of the 326 horses from the 2018 foal crop were made eligible through a $600 payment to compete in any leg of the Triple Crown series. The 2021 Triple Crown opens Saturday, May 1 with the 147th running of the GI Kentucky Derby at Churchill, continues with the 146th GI Preakness S. at...