This is the second post in my series showcasing photos I took during the second Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga while shooting for the Saratoga Special. In this post I will show photos from the races themselves. Click here to see all the posts.
The field heads around the clubhouse turn in the Critical Eye Stakes, won by Bernietakescharge (blue cap), on New York-Bred Showcase Day (Wednesday).
The brilliantly named Spinning Colors runs away with the Mount Vernon Stakes. The five-year-old mare is by Hard Spun out of Kaleidoscope. Besides her name drawing very cleverly from her pedigree, it also rhymes with Winning Colors, the Hall of Fame race mare who won the 1988 Kentucky Derby.
Coach Case (light blue cap and silks) breaks his maiden, earning trainer Miguel Clément his first win after taking over his late father’s stable.
The field heads down the stretch in an allowance optional claiming race on Thursday, won by Velvet Vortex (third from right).
Pipsy wins the Grade II Intercontinental Stakes, earning her trainer Will Walden his third graded victory.
Donegal Momentum notches his first graded win in Grade III Poker Stakes.
The captivating Ways and Means took the Grade II Bed O’ Roses Stakes on Friday, in which most stakes races were for fillies and mares.
Asbury Park breaks his maiden in the pouring rain.
The field heads toward the wire for the first time in the Grade I Ogden Phipps Stakes, eventually won by Dorth Vader (inside).
Dorth Vader notches her first top level win in the Ogden Phipps.
The Grade II Belmont Gold Cup was taken off the turf and effectively downgraded to a Grade III.
Parchment Party, a main track only entry, takes the off the turf Belmont Gold Cup.
La Cara upsets the Grade I Acorn Stakes, beating a field that included Kentucky Oaks winner Good Cheer.
She Feels Pretty wins the Grade I New York Stakes in her fourth Grade I win.
Dynamic Pricing (center) takes the Grade I Just A Game Stakes, earning jockey Dylan Davis his second Grade I win in the day.
José Ortiz gives Nitrogen a pet after winning an off the turf Grade III Wonder Again Stakes on Belmont Day, her fifth consecutive stakes win.
Book’em Danno adds another graded victory to his résumé in the Grade II True North Stakes.
Multiple Grade I winner White Abarrio ran in the Met Mile, but he finished a surprising fourth.
Fierceness, coming off a win in the Grade II Alysheba Stakes in May, was no match for west coast shipper Raging Torrent.
Kentucky Derby alum Just A Touch finished third in the Met Mile.
Raging Torrent gives jockey Frankie Dettori his first Met Mile win.
A.P. Kid wins an off the turf Pennine Ridge Stakes, giving Donegal Racing their second graded victory of the weekend.
Kentucky Derby alum Neoequos ran in the Grade I Woody Stephens Stakes, finishing ninth.
Luis Suez celebrates winning the Woody Stephens onboard Patch Adams.
Belmont Stakes winner Sovereignty is ponied out onto the track by Amanda Villafranco.
The field breaks from the gate in the Belmont Stakes.
Rodriguez leads the way as the field heads for the wire for the first time.
Sovereignty (blue silks and cap) and Journalism (yellow and maroon silks) are out in front during the stretch run.
Sovereignty takes the second Belmont Stakes at Saratoga for trainer Bill Mott, owner Godolphin, and jockey Junior Alvarado.
Junior Alvarado celebrates winning his first Belmont.
Sometimes it’s fun to do a little something different with your photos, so here’s a frame I converted to black and white and darkened the background.
The mare Ag Bullet bests the boys in a rescheduled Grade I Jaipur Stakes on Sunday.
Deterministic goes gate to wire in the Grade I Manhattan Stakes, earning trainer Miguel Clément his first Grade I win.
Kendrick Carmouche celebrates his win aboard Deterministic.
I have made another video with content I captured during the festival. This one is a time lapse of sorts, comprised of over 500 photos. Email subscribers, click here to watch the video.
To see more of my equine photography be sure to follow me on Instagram and Facebook. All photos, illustrations, and videos in this post © Samantha Decker and may not be reused without permission.
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One thought on “Looking Back at the Belmont: The Races”
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Fantastic!!