Coronavirus: 2020 Belmont Stakes will be first Triple Crown race, shorter and held June 20

While some tracks around the USA are still running horse racing during this coronavirus pandemic, the Triple Crown races were all knocked off schedule. The Kentucky Derby, usually the first Saturday in May, was moved to Sept. 5 weeks ago. The Preakness Stakes, usually two weeks after the Kentucky Derby, will be run Oct. 3. And on Tuesday, it was announced that the 152nd Belmont Stakes, which is supposed to be three Saturdays after the Preakness, will be run June 20 without fans in attendance.

The New York Racing Association also said that the race will be shortened from 1½ miles (longest of three Triple Crown races) to 1 1/8 miles. Why not push the Belmont to the back end of the Triple Crown where it belongs?

The Breeders' Cup Classic is scheduled for Nov. 7 at Keeneland, so officials didn't want the two major events so close together. In addition, the Belmont "at a mile and a half in mid-October did not feel like a good idea," NYRA president and CEO Dave O'Rourke said Tuesday. This will be the first time the Belmont is the first leg of the Triple Crown; it had been scheduled for June 6.

The Belmont has been run at 1 1/2 miles each year since 1926 and last ran at 1 1/8 miles in 1894. The NYRA said the distance adjustment was made "to properly account for the schedule adjustments to the Triple Crown series and overall calendar for 3-year-olds in training."

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced over the weekend that racetracks in the state may begin to conduct racing without spectators June 1.

Charlatan, Tiz The Law and Nadal likely will go off as the William Hill sportsbook moneyline betting favorites for the Belmont in whichever order. Belmont Park is the home track of Tiz The Law, who has two wins this year – both at Gulfstream Park outside Miami. Charlatan is 3-0 in his three 2020 starts and Nadal 4-0. 

The top four finishers of the Belmont will earn qualifying points to the Kentucky Derby as the Belmont is now basically a prep race for the "Run for the Roses."  

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