Therefore, there was no Triple Crown at stake, which caused a sharp decline in attendance from the year before when Smarty Jones was attempting to sweep the three races.
The race proved fairly uneventful, with favorite Afleet Alex winning by seven lengths and stamping himself as the top three-year-old in the nation.
Afleet Alex, who had finished third in the Derby, rebounded to win the Preakness Stakes despite nearly falling when another horse swerved into his path at the head of the stretch.
Afleet Alex was favored to win the Belmont, with morning line odds set at 6-5 while Giacomo was the second choice at 4-1.
[3] Meanwhile, various racetracks across the country agreed to set up Alex's Lemonade Stands on Belmont day to raise money for pediatric cancer research.
[4][5] By 2015, the fundraising has surpassed $100 million, and the publicity associated with Afleet Alex's Triple Crown run was a major factor in the continued success.
[7] The previous year, a record crowd of over 120,000 had attended to watch Smarty Jones attempt to sweep the Triple Crown.
[8] Longshot Pinpoint went to the early lead and set a slow pace, with Afleet Alex sitting back in eighth place.
His jockey Mike Smith explained that the horse had "flipped his palate" before the start of the race, which obstructed his breathing.