The 1+1⁄2-mile (2,410 m) race, known as the "test of the champion", is the final leg in the American Triple Crown, open to three-year-old Thoroughbreds.
The race took place on Saturday, June 11, with an actual start time of 6:44 p.m. EDT;[1] television coverage was on NBC.
The race was run without a Triple Crown at stake, as the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes had already been won by different horses: Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike bypassed the Preakness (and gave up the chance to become Triple Crown winner), while Preakness winner Early Voting did not enter the Kentucky Derby or the Belmont Stakes.
[2] A field of eight was drawn for the Belmont Stakes on Tuesday, June 7; We The People was installed as the favorite at 2-1.
Mo Donegal, who finished fifth in the Kentucky Derby, was the second choice pick at 5-2, while Derby winner Rich Strike was the third choice pick at 7-2.