16 Facts About Belmont Park

1.

Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse racing facility in the northeastern United States, located in Elmont, New York, just east of the New York City limits.

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2.

Belmont Park is sometimes known as "The Championship Track" because almost every major champion in racing history since the early 20th century has competed on the racecourse – including all of the Triple Crown winners.

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3.

Belmont Park hosted its largest crowd in 2004, when 120,139 saw Smarty Jones upset by Birdstone in his Triple Crown bid.

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4.

The railings, used as decoration on the south side of the old Belmont Park grandstand, were salvaged during the 1963 demolition.

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5.

Original Belmont Park was not only unprecedented in its size but had the then-new innovation of a Long Island Rail Road extension from the Queens Village station, running along the property, tunneling under Hempstead Turnpike, then terminating on the south side of the property.

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6.

In July 2017, New York State officials announced that vacant parking lots behind the Belmont grandstand had been put to tender for two area top-level professional sports teams: the New York Islanders, an NHL ice hockey team; and New York City FC, an MLS soccer team.

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7.

In 1923, Belmont Park was host to an international duel between the American and English champions: Zev, winner of the Kentucky Derby, against Papyrus, winner of The Derby.

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8.

Belmont Park was the site of the tragedy-marred victory of Foolish Pleasure over champion filly Ruffian in a 1975 match race.

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9.

Belmont Park has a history of early aviation shows and tournaments that dates back to the early 1900s.

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10.

Belmont Park has been home to the day-long Breeders' Cup championship in 1990,1995,2001 and most recently in 2005.

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11.

Belmont Park's backyard is well known as a gathering place for racing fans to see their horses saddled before they hit the track.

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12.

Belmont Park has direct on- and off-ramps to the Cross Island Parkway, which runs north-south and is just to the west of the park.

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13.

Scenes for the Woody Allen movies Mighty Aphrodite and Melinda and Melinda were shot at Belmont Park, as was a paddock scene for the 1990s remake of the film Gloria with Sharon Stone and George C Scott.

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14.

Belmont Park has hosted a wide range of top musical acts, including Billy Joel, Kenny Rogers, Natalie Cole and Blondie.

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15.

Belmont Park was featured in an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond, in which Frank, Robert, and Ray bet on a horse named "Marie's Mouth".

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16.

Belmont Park was featured on the season finale of The Amazing Race 27.

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