Spirits high in spite of bleak weather ahead of the Belmont Stakes
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.– The big day is finally here, and while it was a damp and gloomy morning, that didn’t stop people from lining up outside Saratoga Race Course– all set to race in to protect their spots for Belmont Stakes Day at the Saratoga Race Course. One track-goer, Ed Rathp, stated he and his group got into line around 6:30 a.m. and were close to the front with just a couple of people ahead of them in line.
Despite the skies starting to brighten by noon, the weather condition affected the 6 races arranged to be run on the turf, with 2 of the races– the Grade 1, $500,000 Jaipur Stakes and the Grade 1, $1 million Resorts World Gambling establishment Manhattan Stakes– moved to Sunday. The remaining four races were moved to the main track. While fans like Mike Moro from Syracuse were disappointed to see the races moved from the turf, they were still excited about what the day had in store. “Racing is an outdoor sport, and racing fans, specifically those in upstate New York, are a sturdy type.