Belmont Futurity Stakes

Horseraces infobox
class = Grade II
horse race = Futurity Stakes


caption =
location = Belmont Park
Elmont, New York flagicon|USA
inaugurated = 1888
race type = Thoroughbred - Flat racing
website = [http://www.nyra.com/index_belmont.html Belmont Park]
distance = 7 furlongs
track = Dirt, left-handed
qualification = Two-year-olds
weight = Assigned
purse = $250,000
bonuses = The Futurity Stakes, commonly referred to as the Belmont Futurity, is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in mid September at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Open to two-year-old horses, it is raced on dirt over a distance of seven furlongs.

The creation of James G. K. Lawrence, president of the Sheepshead Bay Race Track, the field made up of the two-year-old offspring of mares which had been nominated before their birth. This nomination remained in effect until 1957 when it was opened to all two-year-olds. The inaugural running of the Futurity took place on Labor Day in 1888 and was the richest race ever run in the United States to that time.

The Futurity Stakes was hosted by the Sheepshead Bay Race Track until the track's closure in following a state-wide ban on parimutuel betting enacted by the New York Legislature. It was switched to the Saratoga Race Course for 1910 but was not raced for the next two years until the State Legislature lifted the ban. Held at Saratoga in 1913 and 1914, it was them moved to Belmont Park. In 1959 and 1960, plus from 1962 to 1967, the race was hosted by the Aqueduct Racetrack before returning to Belmont Park where it has since remained.

The race's counterpart on turf is the Laurel Futurity at Laurel Park Racecourse in Laurel, Maryland. Prior to the advent of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, the Belmont Futurity was one of the United States' most important dirt races for two-year-olds. Some of the greatest Thoroughbreds in American racing history have won the race including Colin, Native Dancer, Man o' War and U.S. Triple Crown champions, Affirmed, Secretariat, and Citation.

In 2001, the race had been scheduled to be run on September 16th but was canceled following the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Over the years the race has been competed over various distances:
* Six furlongs : 1888-1891, 1902-1924;
* 1,263 yards and 1 foot : 1892-1901;
* Approximately seven furlongs : 1925-1933;
* Six and one half furlongs : 1934-1975;
* Seven furlongs : 1976-1993; 2005 to present;
* Eight furlongs : 1994-2004.

Records

Time record: (at the current 7 furlong distance)
* 1:21.60 - Affirmed (1977)

Most wins by an owner:
* 5 - James R. Keene (1893, 1899, 1907, 1908, 1909)
* 5 - George D. Widener, Jr. (1923, 1930, 1950, 1957, 1966)

Most wins by a jockey:
* 5 - Eddie Arcaro (1940, 1946, 1950, 1956, 1959)

Winners of the Belmont Futurity Stakes since 1936

* In 1978, Fuzzbuster finished first, but was disqualified as was City Zip in 2000.

Earlier winners

*1935 - Tintagel
*1934 - Chance Sun
*1933 - Singing Wood
*1932 - Kerry Patch
*1931 - Top Flight
*1930 - Jamestown
*1929 - Whichone
*1928 - High Strung
*1927 - Anita Peabody
*1926 - Scapa Flow
*1925 - Pompey
*1924 - Mother Goose
*1923 - St. James
*1922 - Sally's Alley
*1921 - Bunting
*1920 - Step Lightly

*1919 - Man o' War
*1918 - Dunboyne
*1917 - Papp
*1916 - Campfire
*1915 - Thunderer
*1914 - Trojan
*1913 - Pennant
*1912 - "No race"
*1911 - "No race"
*1910 - Novelty
*1909 - Sweep
*1908 - Maskette
*1907 - Colin
*1906 - Electioneer
*1905 - Ormondale
*1904 - Artful

*1903 - Hamburg Belle
*1902 - Savable
*1901 - Yankee
*1900 - Ballyhoo Bey
*1899 - Chacornac
*1898 - Martimas
*1897 - L'Alouette
*1896 - Ogden
*1895 - Requital
*1894 - The Butterflies
*1893 - Domino
*1892 - Morello
*1891 - His Highness
*1890 - Potomac
*1889 - Chaos
*1888 - Proctor Knott

References

* [http://www.pedigreequery.com/index.php?search_bar=stakes&query_type=stakes&field=view&id=137 The Futurity Stakes at Pedigree Query]

External links

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9N_Cic1uhjU Video at YouTube of Secretariat winning the 1972 Belmont Futurity]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaH5I6DwNVo Video at YouTube of Affirmed and Alydar's fourth meeting in the 1977 Belmont Futurity]