1899 Belmont Stakes his first of two in the 1899 Classics as he went on to win in the Preakness aboard Half Time, the colt ridden by Skeets Martin who finished second in the Belmont. The 1899 Kentucky Derby was run on May 4 and the 1899 Preakness Stakes on May 30, five days after the Belmont. The 1919 Belmont Stakes would mark the first time the race would be recognized as the third leg of a U.S. Triple Crown series. 1899 Belmont Stakes The 1899 Belmont Stakes was the 33rd running of the Belmont Stakes. It was the 10th Belmont Stakes held
2004 Belmont Stakes finishing second in both the Derby and Preakness. His owners had been disappointed in his Preakness performance though, feeling the horse would have done better if he had been closer to the pace. His jockey at the time, Hall of Famer Gary Stevens, disagreed and declined to ride the horse in the Belmont. "I wasn't about to... ride him in the Belmont if it meant following orders I couldn't live with", he said. Alex Solis picked up the mount. Purge was the third choice in the field after winning the Peter Pan Stakes, while Eddington was the next choice after