Triple Crown Races 2020 Schedule Revealed Following Belmont Stakes Date Announcement
The Belmont Stakes has always been the third and final race of the Triple Crown Stakes Races. This year instead of being the final stop, Belmont Park in New York will get the season underway.
The Belmont Stakes has been pushed back two weeks from Saturday, June 6 to Saturday, June 20 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The official announcement came on Tuesday via the official Belmont Stakes Twitter account.
The distance for the Belmont will be just a titch shorter than normal. The 2020 Belmont Stakes race will be 1 1/8-miles (9 furlongs) instead of its traditional 1 1/2-miles.
In years past, the Belmont Stakes was the longest of the three Triple Crown races. However, due to the changes to this season’s schedule, they have shortened the length.
“The 152nd running of the Belmont Stakes will be run at a distance of 1 1/8-miles to properly account for the schedule adjustments to the Triple Crown series and overall calendar for 3-year-olds in training,” the New York Racing Association said in a statement.
With the Belmont Stakes now the first race in the Triple Crown this year, here is how the schedule will break down.
The Kentucky Derby, which now will be race number two of the three stakes races was moved from May 2 to September 5.
The Preakness will now be the third and final stop for the Triple Crown tour. Originally scheduled for May 16, the final leg of this year’s Triple Crown will take place from Pimlico on October 3.
Sadly, the Belmont Stakes will be run in front of no fans due to COVID-19. Hopefully, by the time the Kentucky Derby rolls around this Labor Day, those rules will change.
The 2020 Belmont Stakes will air on NBC Sports from 3-6 p.m. ET. The action then moves to NBC, NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app.
