Memorializing Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim June 6, 2026, as Belmont Stakes Day in the State of New York, and commending the New York Racing Association upon the occasion of the 158th running of the Belmont

Assembly Resolution No. 1435

BY: M. of A. Rules (Solages)

        LEGISLATIVE    RESOLUTION    memorializing  Governor
        Kathy Hochul to proclaim June 6,  2026,  as  Belmont
        Stakes Day in the State of  New York, and commending
        the New York Racing Association upon the occasion of
        the 158th running  of the Belmont Stakes

  WHEREAS,  The  Belmont  Stakes is one of the most important sporting
events in New York State; it is the conclusion of thoroughbred  racing's
prestigious three-contest Triple Crown; and

  WHEREAS,  Preceded  by  the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, the
Belmont Stakes is nicknamed the  "Test  of  the  Champion"  due  to  its
grueling mile and a half distance; and

  WHEREAS,  The  Triple Crown has only been completed 13 times; the 13
horses to accomplish this historic feat are: Sir Barton,  1919;  Gallant
Fox, 1930; Omaha, 1935; War Admiral, 1937; Whirlaway, 1941; Count Fleet,
1943;  Assault,  1946;  Citation, 1948; Secretariat, 1973; Seattle Slew,
1977; Affirmed, 1978; American Pharoah, 2015; and Justify, 2018; and

  WHEREAS, The Belmont Stakes has drawn some of the  largest  sporting
event  crowds in New York history, including 120,139 people for the 2004
running of the race; and

  WHEREAS, This historic event draws tens of thousands of horse racing
fans annually to Belmont Park and generates millions of dollars for  New
York State's economy; and

  WHEREAS,  This  year, for the final time, the Belmont Stakes will be
held in Saratoga Springs, New York, as the redevelopment of Belmont Park
continues, after a large investment by the State of New York; and

  WHEREAS, The Belmont  Stakes  is  shown  to  a  national  television
audience of millions of people on network television; and

  WHEREAS,  The  Belmont  Stakes  is  named  after August Belmont I, a
financier who made a fortune in banking in the middle to late 1800s;  he
also branched out into politics and New York society; and

  WHEREAS, The fourth oldest stakes race in North America, the Belmont
Stakes was first run in 1867 at Jerome Park for a purse of $1500; and

  WHEREAS,  In  1973,  Secretariat  put  together  one of the greatest
performances in sports history  by  taking  the  Belmont  Stakes  by  31
lengths in stakes record time to complete the Triple Crown; and

  WHEREAS, The 2015 Triple Crown winner, American Pharoah, is the 12th
horse  to win the Triple Crown, and the first to win the Triple Crown in
37 years; and

  WHEREAS, Justify was the first Triple Crown  winner  since  American
Pharoah  won  the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes in
2015; and


  WHEREAS,  Horse  racing  is  an integral part of New York as well as
American history; on May 5, 1905, Thomas Edison made one  of  the  first
recorded videos in history at the grand opening of Belmont Park; and

  WHEREAS,  It is fitting and proper for this Legislative Body to take
note of such a prestigious sporting event which brings  great  pride  to
the  horse  racing  industry  as  well as all the citizens of this great
Empire State; and

  WHEREAS, It is, in addition, of utmost importance to honor the sport
of horse racing in New York State on its biggest day; now, therefore, be
it

  RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its  deliberations  to
memorialize  Governor  Kathy Hochul to proclaim June 6, 2026, as Belmont
Stakes Day in the State of New York, and to commend the New York  Racing
Association  upon  the  occasion  of  the  158th  running of the Belmont
Stakes; and be it further

  RESOLVED, That copies of this  Resolution,  suitably  engrossed,  be
transmitted  to The Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of New
York, and to the New York Racing Association.