All-Sources Handle on Belmont Stakes Dips; Card Rises

The 158th Belmont Stakes (G1) day June 6—contested at Saratoga Race Course for a third consecutive year and the final time before Belmont Park's reopening—saw $116,077,378 in all-sources handle on its 14-race card. That figure was up 14% from the $101,861,883 wagered last year on a shortened 12-race program, which saw two of its marquee turf races, the Jaipur (G1T) and Manhattan (G1T) stakes, moved to the following day because of heavy rain. The first year (2023) the third leg of the Triple Crown was contested at the upstate New York track, all-sources handle reached $125.7 million on the 14-race card. Despite some showery weather to start the card and a brief burst of rain before the horses reached the starting gate for the Belmont Stakes, the skies were generally partly cloudy throughout the day, but the humidity was high. This year's attendance of 46,128 was only slightly below last year's announced crowd of 46,243. The initial year the Belmont Stakes was run at Saratoga, 50,000 were in attendance. On-track handle for the Belmont Stakes day card, which included six grade 1 races among seven graded stakes, was $13,416,742, up 29% from the $10,440,740 in 2025. All-sources handle for the Belmont Stakes itself, which was carded as race 13 of 14, was $50,876,383, a dip of 8% from last year's $55,456,793. The Belmont Stakes will return to Long Island next year at the reimagined Belmont Park, which will open its doors for the first time Sept. 18. The Belmont Stakes Racing Festival concludes June 7 with an 11-race card, highlighted by a pair of graded races, the Poker Stakes (G3T) and Soaring Softly Stakes (G3T). First post is 12:05 p.m. ET.