The last leg of the Triple Crown is upon us. There wouldn’t be a Triple Crown winner this year though with different horses winning the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes. Before we head into the Belmont Stakes, let’s check out what the requirements are for horses to enter The Test of Champions.
As of this writing, there are 12 horses slated to race at Belmont Park this coming weekend. That’s four less than the field limit of 16 set by the event committee. Primarily, horses are selected by their career earnings.
A horse that had won the previous two legs of the Triple Crown (Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes) is a virtual shoo-in to appear in the Belmont Stakes, as it gets a historic shot at a rare Triple Crown sweep. There are also instances in which a horse that had won the Derby and subsequently lost in the Preakness would purposely miss the Belmont Stakes in favor of racing in the Travers Stakes a few weeks after the action in New York.
The price to pay
The Belmont Stakes is a big time horse race, one of the biggest and richest on the planet so horse owners must be prepared to shed top dollar if they intend to race their thoroughbreds in The Run for the Carnations.
A whooping $15,000 is to be paid by horses’ owners to pass the entry box. Another $15,000 is required for starters. A supplemental fee amounting to $75,000 can be paid by a horse’s owner to get nominated to the Belmont Stakes. Of course, these fees are peanuts compared to the $800,000 prize for the first-place finisher.
Watch the weight
Just like boxers, horses are given weight limits. Colts and geldings shouldn’t tip the scales over 126 pounds. For Fillies, it’s the limit is at 121 pounds.
