Summer Bird, ridden by jockey Kent Desormeaux, beat out Dunkirk, ridden by John Velazquez, by 2 and three-quarter lengths to win the third leg of the Triple Crown in a time of 2:27:54 on Saturday evening at Belmont Park in Elmont, NY.
The 1.5 miles thoroughbred horse race featured ten 3-year-old colts five weeks after the Kentucky Derby and three weeks after the Preakness Stakes, with post time set at 6:29 p.m. ET.
Jockey Calvin Borel had hoped to be the first jockey to win all three legs of the Triple Crown. He brought Mine That Bird to victory in the Kentucky Derby, and rode Preakness winner Rachel Alexandra two weeks later. His mount at Belmont was once again Mine That Bird, who finished third.
Last year Desormeaux rode Big Brown to victory at the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, and was forced to pull up the colt in the Belmont, making this year’s race all the more sweet for the jockey.
In the longest leg of the Triple Crown, Summer Bird, at 11-1 odds, paid $25.80, $9.30 and $4.70. Dunkirk paid $5.40 and $3.60. Mine That Bird paid out $2.60.
View 141st running of the Belmont Stakes and post race coverage below.