The third jewel of your Triple Crown picks is the Belmont Stakes, held five weeks after the Kentucky Derby at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.  The Belmont Stakes is a prestigious American Grade I stakes race, and Big Brown will aim to be Histories Triple Crown Pick on June 7th.  Named for August Belmont, the first president of the American Jockey Club, the Belmont Stakes is the oldest of the Triple Crown races.  It was inaugurated in 1867 at Jerome Park, the first genuinely modern track. The oddsmakers at BodogLife.com have all your Belmont and Triple Crown futures available, so start early and put down your Triple Crown picks on Big Brown to make Horse Racing history.

Because of its distance and status as the race that can make or break a Triple Crown champion, the Belmont Stakes has been the venue for some of the most famous Triple Crown picks in American racing.  The first Belmont Stakes was held at Jerome Park Racetrack in The Bronx, built in 1866 by stock market speculator Leonard Jerome (1817-1891) and financed by August Belmont, Sr. (1816-1890) for whom the race was named.

Last year in the Belmont, a filly was the Belmont pick for the first time Rags to Riches trained by Todd Pletcher.  It was jockey John Velazquez winning mount in a Triple Crown picks race and first win for Pletcher in a Triple Crown race.  Despite several minor medical problems over the summer, Rags to Riches continued to train at Belmont Park towards the 2007 Breeder's Cup.  She made her return to the races in the $250,000 Gazelle Stakes at Belmont Park on September 15th but finished second to Lear's Princess.  Will there be another Filly that wins the Belmont this year?  Or will Big Brown be the Triple Crown pick and make history?

The following is a list of Belmont Stakes winners since 1994.  Listed are the winning times along with the winning jockeys and trainers. 

Big Brown could be the 2008 Triple Crown pick; so make sure you bookmark OnlineSportsHandicapping.com for all your premiere Triple Crown picks and horse racing previews.

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