1973 Belmont Stakes Steve Cady of the "New York Times" wrote that Secretariat could be defeated if the pace of the race went too fast or was too slow for too long, in both of which scenarios he felt Sham would win. Sham received significant attention as well and was thought to be the second best horse, along with having the potential of becoming the first horse to be runner-up in all the Triple Crown races. My Gallant was considered the best of the rest, especially as he was the progeny of Gallant Man, who set the Belmont Stakes course record of 2:
1910 Belmont Stakes 7 and the 1910 Kentucky Derby three days later on May 10. The Belmont was run twenty days after the Derby. 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. As a result of New York State's Hart-Agnew anti-betting legislation, which contained penalties allowing for fines and up to a year in prison, racing ended in 1910. For the next two years racetracks in New York were closed. The Belmont Stakes would not be run again until 1913. 1910 Belmont Stakes The 1910 Belmont Stakes