1973 Belmont Stakes a sloppy track. However, Knightly Dawn was scratched prior to race day. The horse's scratch also reduced the winner's share from $150,200 to $90,120. There was much speculation going into the Stakes over Secretariat's bid for the Triple Crown. Since 1948, when Citation achieved the feat, there had been six horses that had won both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes before failing in the Belmont Stakes. When comparing Secretariat to those six horses' health and fitness before the Belmont Stakes, writer Bonifice felt Secretariat was in the best shape, almost as good as when he entered the Kentucky
Woody Stephens Stakes including a record five consecutive editions of the Belmont Stakes. The race is part of the undercard for the Belmont Stakes and often includes horses that are cutting back in distance after attempting to qualify on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Speed record: Most wins by a jockey: Most wins by a trainer: Most wins by an owner: Woody Stephens Stakes The Woody Stephens Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in early June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Raced on dirt over a distance of seven furlongs, it is open to three-year-old horses. A