For the last year or so, the concept of returning to normal has been frequently mentioned in all phases of life.
For the New York Racing Association and the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1), it happened June 11 with the 154th edition of The Test of the Champion.
The crowd of 46,301 at Belmont Parkwas the largest for the final leg of the Triple Crown since the pre-pandemic days of 2019, when 56,217 turned out at a time before an attendance cap was set at 50,000 due to the construction of the UBS Arena on the grounds.
Saturday's attendance was about four times the crowd of 11,238 last year and about 46,000 more than 2020, when the 1 1/2-mile Belmont opened the Triple Crown chase and only essential personnel were allowed in the facility due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"It was great to see so many people in the building," NYRA senior vice president of racing operations Frank Gabriel said.
Looking at the big picture, the three-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival (June 9-11) showcased both the very best of New York racing with a bevy of the sport's top stars and the industry-wide problem of short fields for stakes races.
While the cornerstone Belmont Stakes attracted the victorious Mo Donegal and the talented 3-year-old filly Nestas well as Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike , the three-day BSRF also featured significant star power in an array of top runners such as Flightline , Speaker's Corner , Letruska, Malathaat, Clairiere, Jack Christopher , Regal Glory, Matareya, Jackie's Warrior , Bleecker Street, Bella Sofia, Consumer Spending, and an impressive import from Europe named Loft.
"The quality was there. We were able to get the best of the best here. It was a good, quality program for the fans," Gabriel said. "There was great support from the owners and trainers who came and participated, and we thank them for that."
While the quality was surely there, the same could not be said in terms of quantity. Field size was a thorn in NYRA's side, especially for the grade 1 stakes.
Of the 17 stakes over the course of the three days, seven of them had five or fewer starters and only three had more than eight starters. In the nine grade 1 stakes, four had five or fewer starters.
The 17 stakes had an average field size of 6.82, and those short fields took a toll on the wagering. In those stakes, 15 of them saw either the favorite or the second choice win, with six of them having a $2 win price of less than $3. Not surprisingly, the small fields and low payouts impacted overall wagering on Belmont Stakes Day, which had an all-sources handle of $98,766,906, a drop of about $14 million from 2021.
"We had some small fields and that's something we have to review and face because the number of quality graded- stakes horses in our area is short. If we could have pumped up the field sizes, it would have been a super day of racing," Gabriel said. "When you look around the country, the field size for grade 1 stakes is getting smaller. There are a lot of opportunities and there may be too many stakes in our regions. Somehow we have to find a way to reduce a few of them."
Reflective of the proliferation of black-type events were June 12 stakes at both Belmont Park and Churchill Downs. At Belmont, 3-year-old filly sprinters competed in the $150,000 Jersey Girl Stakes at six furlongs as the third race of the day. Meanwhile in Kentucky, Churchill Downs' second race was the $160,000 Leslie's Lady Overnight Stakes, a seven-furlong sprint for 3-year-old fillies. Each had only five starters.
As for the Belmont, it added even more glitter to New York's Road to the Triple Crown. In winning "The Test of the Champion," Mo Donegal became the first winner of the Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by Resorts World Casino (G2) at Aqueduct Racetrack to capture a Triple Crown race since Empire Maker in 2003. He was also the first Remsen Stakes (G2) winner to prevail in one of the classics for 3-year-olds since Thunder Gulch in 1995.
Nest, who was second in the Belmont, won Aqueduct's Demoiselle Stakes (G2) in December of her 2-year-old season, and three weeks ago Wood runner-up Early Voting , who spent the entire winter in New York, took the Preakness Stakes (G1).
"It's a good sign that Aqueduct racing is of a high quality," Gabriel said. "The tracks have been modernized for the winter and you can train a good horse up here."
Looking ahead, fans can expect to see most of the stars of the BSRF cards at Saratoga Race Course, adding even more allure to the Spa's 40-day meet that begins July 14. Yet for Gabriel, there are some pressing matters until that time of year rolls around.
"You hope everything goes well and the connections of the horses we've seen this weekend can map out a plan that gets them one or two starts at Saratoga and keeps the positive flow of quality going," Gabriel said. "But I don't want to forget the balance of the Belmont meet. I think it's important not only to us but to the horsemen that we can finish the Belmont meet strong."
