The running of the 142nd Belmont Stakes took place on Saturday, June 5, 2010 at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The third and final leg of the Triple Crown is a 1.5-mile race open to three year thoroughbreds. The championship was not at stake because the Kentucky Derby 2010 winner did not repeat at the Preakness Stakes. Neither Super Saver or Lookin At Lucky competed today.
The race was won by jockey Mike Smith aboard Drosselmeyer, giving the jockey his first Belmont win in his 13th try. The final time was 2:31:57. At 12 to 1 odds, the win paid $28.00, $11.60, and $7.70.
Drosselmeyer seized the lead in the final stretch, giving Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott his first win in a Triple Crown race. Drosselmeyer defeated Fly Down by three-quarters of a length. First Dude finished third after being the pace setter for most of the race.
Fly Down paid $6.80 and $5.10. First Dude paid $4.90.
The 44-year-old veteran jockey got into the sport at age 16 in 1982. He hit his stride in 1993, winning a record 62 North American stakes races.
Probably the most disappointed when First Dude faltered were former Alaska governor Sarah Palin and her very own ‘First Dude’ Todd Palin. The horse was named after Todd in the Fall of 2008, during the presidential campaign. The couple visited the paddock today to greet the namesake colt – see photos in the gallery.
See more photos and video below:
Photos: PicApp