Biggest Belmont Stakes Upsets

With the 2024 Preakness Stakes now in the books, American horse racing fans are now eagerly awaiting the third of the famous Triple Crown events, with the Belmont Stakes scheduled for June 8^th. Due to renovation work at Belmont Park, the 156^th running of this famous race will actually take place at the Saratoga Race Course. It will be the first time the race has not been hosted by Belmont Park since 1967.

After winning the Kentucky Derby, many were hoping that Mystik Dan would again be victorious and set up the possibility of a Triple Crown champion for the first time since 2018. But Hall of Fame trainer D Wayne Lukas had other ideas, with his grey colt, Seize the Day, leading from the off and becoming a surprise Preakness Stakes winner in the process.

There is unlikely to be such a shock winner at the Belmont Stakes this year but the change in course – and length of race – might add some uncertainty to the outcome. Anyone planning to place a bet on Belmont Stakes online will definitely need to take into consideration the different setting and atmosphere. It is not as if there have not been some upsets in this race in the past. Here are some of the biggest surprises in the history of the event.

2002 Sarava 

War Emblem went into the 2002 Belmont Stakes with a chance of capturing the Triple Crown and was fancied by many to achieve that feat. He had romped home in the Kentucky Derby and was equally dominant in the Preakness Stakes, so a third victory seemed as straightforward as it could be.

But the race went immediately wrong, with the temperamental colt stumbling out of the gate. Jockey Victor Espinoza was forced to rush War Emblem into the proceedings and, with all pre-race plans up in the air, he tired towards the end allowing 70-1 longshot Sarava to come through to win by just half a length. The surprise winner would never claim another title but is still the longest-priced winner in the history of the race.

1980 Temperance Hill

 Genuine Risk was the big favorite in 1980 and Temperance Hill had not even raced in the Kentucky Derby or Preakness Stakes, with his owner eventually paying a late fee just to get him in the last leg of the Triple Crown. It was the wisest money ever spent though, as Temperance Hill beat Genuine Risk by two full lengths at the end and went down in race history.

Looking back after the colt finished his racing career, the Belmont Stakes triumph was perhaps not as surprising as it initially seemed. Temperance Hill went on to win the Travers Stakes, the Jockey Club Gold Cup, and the Super Derby that year and finished 1980 as the champion three-year-old male, claiming the Eclipse Award.

2014 Tonalist

California Chrome enjoyed a huge fan base, thanks in part to social media coverage, in 2014 and reached the Belmont Stakes with a chance of capturing the Triple Crown. With over 100,000 fans cheering him on, it was obvious that he was the crowd favorite, as well as with the bookmakers.

But, once again, a favorite on the cusp of immortality stumbled out of the gate. It wasn’t quite as devastating as it had been for War Emblem 12 years earlier but it still gave the jockey – Victor Espinoza again – a lot of work to do. Tonalist was the horse that took advantage and showed more stamina in the later stages to win by a head. Tonalist would then go on to win the Jockey Club Gold Cup in 2014 – and again a year later.

1999 Lemon Drop Kid

Charismatic had a chance of winning the Triple Crown in 1999 but ended up becoming the third horse in three years to blow his chances in the final jewel in the crown. Lemon Drop Kid had only won one of four races up to that point in the year but had looked good in a Belmont prep race in the weeks before the big event.

The favorite surprisingly hit the front early and dictated the pace, with Silverbulletday making an early challenge. But jockey José A. Santos brought Lemon Drop Kid into the race and took the lead as the horses turned the corner into the final stretch. He would not relinquish that position and ended up winning by a head from Vision and Verse. It was later revealed that Charismatic had broken two bones in his left leg and it was only the quick thinking of jockey Chris Antley – pulling up quickly after the finish line – that saved the horse’s life.

2004 Birdstone

Over 120,000 fans crammed into Belmont Park for the 2004 race and the excitement was at a level not seen since the 1970s, as Smarty Jones attempted to claim what would have been an incredibly popular Triple Crown. After some amazing wins in the first two races, almost everyone wanted him to go down in history with some of the most famous names in the sport.

There were some concerns that the Preakness Stakes win had taken too much out of him but Smarty Jones got off to a good start. With such a rapid pace, he remained at the front but started to falter in the final furlong. That gave Birdstone the chance to come through and win the race, to the dismay of nearly everyone at the track and those watching worldwide.