OT: Has anyone ever been to the Belmont Stakes

[cliftonparksufan]

I really think this is the year that we see the first Triple Crown winner since 1978. Hard to believe 12 other horses have tried and failed especially when I saw three triple crown winners during my teens. That's an incredible streak but not as far fetched when you consider how many take off the Preakness and come back fresh for the Belmont but that's an argument for another day. Anyways, I am curious how Belmont Park is with 125,000 fans. I know how Saratoga is with 45,000 for the Travers. We get there at the break of dawn, carve out our little corner of the world and eat and drink out of our cooler. Is the Belmont similar but more than double the size or are coolers not allowed. I'd love to be there but not love it if we can't bring chairs and coolers. Anyone have any tips or suggestions?

 

[jgeorge322]

i was there for big brown. belmont seemed to easily accomodate the crowd.

 

[Toga]

Like a tremendous machine ...

 

[cliftonparksufan]

Like a tremendous machine ...

I believe Secreteriat still has the fastest Derby, Preakness and Belmont of all time. Best ever. Not even up for discussion.

 

[Briancuse]

I was there back when smarty jones was going for the triple crown, I would suggest getting there early.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

I was there back when smarty jones was going for the triple crown, I would suggest getting there early.

But can you bring in chairs and coolers?

 

[Brian Orange]

I really think this is the year that we see the first Triple Crown winner since 1978. Hard to believe 12 other horses have tried and failed especially when I saw three triple crown winners during my teens. That's an incredible streak but not as far fetched when you consider how many take off the Preakness and come back fresh for the Belmont but that's an argument for another day. Anyways, I am curious how Belmont Park is with 125,000 fans. I know how Saratoga is with 45,000 for the Travers. We get there at the break of dawn, carve out our little corner of the world and eat and drink out of our cooler. Is the Belmont similar but more than double the size or are coolers not allowed. I'd love to be there but not love it if we can't bring chairs and coolers. Anyone have any tips or suggestions?

This will be my 4th Belmont since 2008. There won't be 125k there - that was a one time thing with Smarty Jones brining up thousands of fans from Philly. There will be about 85k there, and while it will be crowded, it's nothing too crazy you can't handle.

Check with NYRA on both of these but I'm 99 percent sure you can bring in chairs. Like Saratoga, get there as early as possible. As for coolers, fairly certain they are still allowed but NO alcohol or glass. And yes, they will check.

Other tip- definetly try to take the direct train from Penn Station to Belmont to avoid sitting in traffic. They have trains running both ways virtuall all day. A must.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

This will be my 4th Belmont since 2008. There won't be 125k there - that was a one time thing with Smarty Jones brining up thousands of fans from Philly. There will be about 85k there, and while it will be crowded, it's nothing too crazy you can't handle.

Check with NYRA on both of these but I'm 99 percent sure you can bring in chairs. Like Saratoga, get there as early as possible. As for coolers, fairly certain they are still allowed but NO alcohol or glass. And yes, they will check.

Other tip- definetly try to take the direct train from Penn Station to Belmont to avoid sitting in traffic. They have trains running both ways virtuall all day. A must.

Thanks, but you might be wrong about the attendance especially if its nice out. I think people want to be there. This is a horse that came out of nowhere. Funny Cide West.

 

[Brian Orange]

Thanks, but you might be wrong about the attendance especially if its nice out. I think people want to be there. This is a horse that came out of nowhere. Funny Cide West.

I'll bet you a dollar they get somewhere south of 95,000. You're right though it's very weather dependent.

 

[TexanMark]

FunnyCide didn't find Belmont so funny.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

I'll bet you a dollar they get somewhere south of 95,000. You're right though it's very weather dependent.

You're on. I think most of the triple crown attempts have been six figures.

 

[Brian Orange]

You're on. I think most of the triple crown attempts have been six figures.

Almost certain the last - Big Brown in 2008 - was not. But that day was scorching hot so that may have played a part.

 

[Ghost]

I saw Coach K there the one time I went.

Wooohoo.

 

[IthacaBarrel]

Will be about 100K.. The Belmont Day is now the second richest day in racing in the US. The card for that day is fantastic. Met Mile as well. It's almost a Breeder's Cup type event minus the foreign influence. Should be great.

I haven't been since the Big Brown fiasco. Considering going down but have to check the schedule

 

[br801]

Belmont Park was built to handle huge crowds. When a Triple Crown is on the line it can get a bit crazy, but it still seems less "crowded" than a typical Kentucky Derby or Travers Day experience.

My favorite in-person Belmont was Easy Goer blowing the doors off Sunday Silence to deny his Triple Crown attempt. The most stunning near miss I witnessed was Victory Gallop running down Real Quiet in the last jump to deny his bid.

If you can get yourself there, it's worth the trouble, even if you're not a big racing fan.

 

[cto]

I was there in 1973 for Secretariat. (Still have the $2 ticket that I never cashed). It was so far before 9/11 that they didn't seem to care what you brought in. I don't remember any checking for anything.

 

[Eric15]

Is California Chrome winning the Belmont good or bad for horse racing as a sport? On the one hand it will create huge publicity and attention for winning the Triple Crown for the first time since 1978, but then on the other hand, suddenly a feat that was so elusive for 36 years won't seem like that big of a deal next year.

 

[phillydad]

This will be my 4th Belmont since 2008. There won't be 125k there - that was a one time thing with Smarty Jones brining up thousands of fans from Philly. There will be about 85k there, and while it will be crowded, it's nothing too crazy you can't handle.

Check with NYRA on both of these but I'm 99 percent sure you can bring in chairs. Like Saratoga, get there as early as possible. As for coolers, fairly certain they are still allowed but NO alcohol or glass. And yes, they will check.

Other tip- definetly try to take the direct train from Penn Station to Belmont to avoid sitting in traffic. They have trains running both ways virtuall all day. A must.

2004 - Smarty Jones - 120,139

2008 - Big Brown - 94,476

2010 - No TC on the line - 45,243,,

I predict it will be Brian, myself and about 95,000 others.

 

[Antiprodigy]

Many horses going for the triple crown have hit a wall on the extra distance of the Belmont. I will believe it when I see it.

 

[Briancuse]

But can you bring in chairs and coolers?

It has been 10 years since I have been there, but I believe that you still can.

 

[Briancuse]

Many horses going for the triple crown have hit a wall on the extra distance of the Belmont. I will believe it when I see it.

I don't think that he will, nothing against this horse, but I don't think he was as good as those other horses who went for the tc.

 

[realorange]

I don't think that he will, nothing against this horse, but I don't think he was as good as those other horses who went for the tc.

But is his competition that much better?

 

[Briancuse]

But is his competition that much better?

That I couldn't answer, but I remember smarty jones and big brown being hyped up a lot more during the whole process.