Belmont: By the Numbers

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With Funny Cide's run for the Triple Crown in Saturday's Belmont Stakes (gr. I), the following numbers come into play:

$7,489,385
Funny Cide's earnings should he sweep the Triple Crown, which includes a $5-million bonus from Visa; would make him the richest gelding in the history of Thoroughbred racing in North America

$5,000,000
Bonus offered by Visa to any horse that can sweep the Triple Crown (Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont)

103,222
Record attendance, set last year when War Emblem bid for the Triple Crown; a figure New York Racing Association officials say will be broken Saturday

$20,000
Amount the New York-bred Funny Cide would get from the New York Thoroughbred Breeding Delvelopment Fund with a win in the Belmont

11
Number of Triple Crown winners: Sir Barton (1919), Gallant Fox (1930), Omaha (1935), War Admiral (1937), Whirlaway (1941), Count Fleet (1943), Assault (1946), Citation (1948), Secretariat (1973), Seattle Slew (1977), Affirmed (1978)

9
Number of Kentucky Derby/Preakness winners since Affirmed in 1978; eight have been unsuccessful in the Belmont: Spectacular Bid (1979), Pleasant Colony (1981), Alysheba (1987), Sunday Silence (1989), Silver Charm (1997), Real Quiet (1998), Charismatic (1999), War Emblem (2002)

8
Number of Belmont winners (since 1905) to win from post 4 (Funny Cide's post); the last was Colonial Affair in 1993

6
Number of 2003 Belmont starters, the fewest number to run in the race since 1994 when Tabasco Cat defeated five rivals

2:24
Record time of the Belmont Stakes, set by Secretariat in 1973

2
Best finish by a female trainer in the Belmont; the Diane Carpenter-trained Kingpost in 1988; Linda Rice will saddle longshot Supervisor Saturday

1 ½
Distance of the Belmont, in miles; the longest of the Triple Crown races

1
Number of geldings to win the Belmont Stakes (Crème Fraiche in 1985)

0
Number of Triple Crown winners since 1978

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