The last of the Horse Races and I can safely ignore them until next year.
The Belmont Stakes are perhaps the most democratic of the Triple Crown Races, held in Elmont right next to Queens (yes, you read that correctly. It’s an unincorporated Census designated place with no ‘B’ in it at all). Indications of that are they can’t settle on a song or a drink. The song has ranged from Sidewalks of New York, a charming Tin Pan Alley tune better known as East Side, West Side, to the Theme from New York, New York (as performed by Frank Sinatra and appropriated as the Yankees anthem and not the original Liza Minelli rendition), to 2010’s Empire State of Mind by Jay-Z.
Likewise the drink has changed from the absolutely un-potable White Carnation to the refined trashcan punch that is the Belmont Breeze.
I suggest instead the classic Cosmopolitan.
Ingredients-
Directions Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the vodka, Cointreau, and cranberry and lime juices. Cover and shake vigorously to combine and chill. Strain the cosmopolitan into a chilled martini glass. Twist the orange zest over the drink and serve. Note: The drink can also be stirred in a pitcher. |
This year is the 149th running as opposed to 143 for the Derby and 142 for the Preakness. At 1 1/2 miles the Belmont is the longest of the Triple Crown races. The Belmont track surface is looser, sandier, and harder to run on than most tracks in the country, also the NYRA is much stricter about “performance enhancement” than most racing associations.
There is absolutely no chance of a Triple Crown winner this year, the winner of the Derby (Always Dreaming) and the Preakness (Cloud Computing) won’t even be there. There’s also very little press interest outside of the contractually obligated NBC Universe.
Epicharis (3rd favorite) has been scratched, leaving 11 in the field-
- Twisted Tom (20-1)
- Tapwrit (15-2)
- Gormley (12-1)
- J Boys Echo (16-1)
- Hollywood Handsome (33-1)
- Lookin At Lee (5-1)
- Irish War Cry (3-1)
- Senior Investment (12-1)
- Meantime (14-1)
- Multiplier (16-1)
- Epicharis (7-2) Scratched
- Patch (25-1)
Of course the most interest is in Lookin At Lee and Irish War Cry who have participated in other legs of the Triple Crown, the rest are New York mercenaries in it for the $1.5 Million prize. Unlike some other States New York actually has a pretty active racing scene, of course it’s heavily subsidized.
So you want to know who will win? Your guess is as good as mine. Here is the line from The New York Times.
Joe Drape’s picks: Tapwrit, Senior Investment, and Meantime.
Melissa Hoppert’s picks: Irish War Cry, Tapwrit, and Patch.
Good Luck!
Post time is 6:30 pm ET on NBC. Hype starts around 5.
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Vent Hole