{"id":3180,"date":"2016-04-28T09:15:22","date_gmt":"2016-04-28T09:15:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.announcingit.com\/invitations-blog\/?p=3180"},"modified":"2018-05-17T20:19:30","modified_gmt":"2018-05-17T20:19:30","slug":"traditions-of-the-belmont-stakes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.announcingit.com\/invitations-blog\/traditions-of-the-belmont-stakes\/","title":{"rendered":"Traditions of the Belmont Stakes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Belmont Park in Elmont, New York is the site of the Belmont Stakes. First run in 1867, it is the oldest of the\u00a0Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing<\/a>,\u00a0predating the Preakness by six years and the Kentucky Derby by eight years.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Photo:\u00a0Michael Heiman\/Getty<\/span><\/p>\n

Known as “The Test of Champions”, the Belmont Stakes is the final race of the Triple Crown and is run in early June, five weeks after the\u00a0Kentucky Derby<\/a>\u00a0and two weeks after the Preakness Stakes<\/a>. \u00a0The winner of this race is draped with a blanket of white carnations.<\/p>\n

The White Carnation<\/a>\u00a0is also the name of what was the traditional drink of the Belmont until 1997 when it was replaced with the Belmont Breeze<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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In 1997, the traditional theme song “Sidewalks of New York” but was changed to “New York, New York” to appeal to a younger crowd.<\/p>\n

In 1997, another new Belmont tradition began of painting the colors of the winner’s silks on a four foot tall cast iron horse and jockey on the fence around the paddock. If the winner is also a Triple Crown winner, the cast iron statute is moved to a\u00a0permanent position with the other Triple Crown winners on the fence.<\/p>\n

\"White<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Painted<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"Shop<\/a><\/p>\n

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