   the belmont stakes is an american grade i stakes thoroughbred horse race held every june at belmont park in elmont, new york. it is a  horse race, open to three-year-old thoroughbreds. colts and geldings carry a weight of ; fillies carry . the race, nicknamed the test of the champion, is the third and final leg of the triple crown and is held five weeks after the kentucky derby and three weeks after the preakness stakes, on a saturday between june 5 and june 11. the 1973 belmont stakes and triple crown winner secretariat holds the mile and a half stakes record (which is also a track and world record on dirt) of 2:24. the attendance at the belmont stakes is among the american thoroughbred racing top attended events. the 2004 belmont stakes drew a television audience of 21.9 million viewers, and had the highest household viewing rate since 1977 when seattle slew won the triple crown. ==history== ===1868-1904: move to belmont park===   the first belmont stakes was held at jerome park racetrack in the bronx, built in 1866 by stock market speculator leonard jerome (1817â1891) and financed by august belmont, sr. (1816â1890), for whom the race was named. the first race in 1868 saw the horse general duke win, while the following year was won by ruthless. the race continued to be held at jerome park until 1890, when it was moved to the nearby facility, morris park racecourse. {{cite web |url=http://www.belmontstakes.com/history/records.aspx |title=belmont stakes records & traditions |publisher=new york racing association
Annual_sporting_events_in_the_United_States Belmont_Park Belmont_Stakes Belmont_family Flat_horse_races_for_three-year-olds Grade_1_stakes_races_in_the_United_States Graded_stakes_races_in_the_United_States Horse_races_in_New_York Horse_races_in_the_United_States Recurring_sporting_events_established_in_1867 Triple_Crown_of_Thoroughbred_Racing