1973 Kentucky Derby entered the homestretch, Secretariat passed Sham in the final furlong and distanced himself to consolidate his lead. Secretariat would go on to win the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes in the succeeding weeks, thus becoming the ninth horse to complete the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing. Thirteen horses entered the Derby, which could have at most twenty participants. Horse owners had to pay a final entry fee of $2,500 to have their horses officially entered. The field was larger than anticipated because of new entries following Secretariat's loss at the Wood Memorial Stakes in New York. The Wood Memorial had
1949 Belmont Stakes 1949 Belmont Stakes The 88th Belmont Stakes was an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York on June 11, 1949. From the fourteen starters, Capot won the race under a ride much praised in the media by future Hall of Fame jockey Ted Atkinson. While Capot had won the Preakness Stakes, there was no Triple Crown at stake as second-place finisher Ponder had won the Kentucky Derby. The 1949 Belmont Stakes carried a gross purse of $91,500 which went to the first four finishers with the nominator of each of the top