The Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes is a 1 1/4-mile race for 3-year-old fillies on the turf. It is run at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. and has a storied history.
The Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes is a 1 1/4-mile race for 3-year-old fillies on the turf. It is run at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. and has a storied history.
The race was first run in 1904 as the Garden City Stakes on the dirt, named for the community of Garden City on Long Island. It has also been run as the Rare Perfume Stakes, and it has been run at distances of 1 mile 70 yards, 1 1/16 miles and 1 1/8 miles. The 2014 Belmont Oaks was the first time it was be run with its current name and distance. The race date was also changed to early July and the purse increased to $1 million for 2014.
Jade Flush holds the record margin of victory in the race with her 6 1/2-length win in the 1994 edition. The speed record at the 1 1/4 mile distance belongs to Lady Eli, winner of the 2015 race in 1:59.27. Trainer Allen Jerkens has three wins in the race, more than any other trainer. Jockey Jose Santos has ridden a record four fillies to victory in the race.
The Belmont Oaks has been won by several top fillies, including champions Personal Ensign and Perfect Sting, Triple Tiara winner Sky Beauty, and multiple Grade 1 winners Voodoo Dancer and Winter Memories.