The Belmont Stakes will be contested on June 20th, making it the opening leg of the American Triple Crown for the first time in history.

The Grade 1 event is usually the last of the North American classics and is contested over a mile and a half at Belmont Park, with the 2020 running initially scheduled for June 6th.

However, the New York Racing Association has announced this year’s race will be run over nine furlongs, with a revised date of June 20th, following the suspension of racing since March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

New York governor Andrew Cuomo last week gave tracks in the state clearance to resume racing behind closed doors from June 1st.

“The Belmont Stakes is a New York institution that will provide world-class entertainment for sports fans during these challenging times,” said NYRA president and CEO Dave O’Rourke.

“While this will certainly be a unique running of this historic race, we are grateful to be able to hold the Belmont Stakes in 2020.”

Both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness – traditionally the first two legs of the Triple Crown – have been rescheduled for September 5th and October 3rd respectively.

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