2001 Belmont Stakes

American horse race 133rd Belmont Stakes Belmont Stakes "The Test of the Champion" 1+1/2 mi furlong m 0 on Dirt Belmont ParkElmont, New York June 9, 2001 1.35 (to 1) Point Given 2:26.56 Gary Stevens Bob Baffert The Thoroughbred Corporation FastChart of the 2001 Belmont Stakes http://www.equibase.com/premium/chartEmb.cfm?track=BEL&raceDate=06/09/2001&cy=USA&rn=10 equibase.com 7 October 2016 2000 2002 The 2001 Belmont Stakes was the 133rd running of the Belmont Stakes. The 1+1/2 mi m on race, known as the "test of the champion" and sometimes called the "final jewel" in thoroughbred horse racing's Triple Crown series, was held on June 9, 2001, three weeks after the Preakness Stakes and five weeks after the Kentucky Derby. Point Given, trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by Gary Stevens, was one of the most highly regarded three-year-olds of his era. Although he finished fifth in the Kentucky Derby, he rebounded to win the Preakness Stakes. In the Belmont Stakes, he turned in a dominating performance to win by over 12 lengths in one of the fastest times in the history of the race. Pre-race In jockey Gary Stevens' opinion, Point Given was one of the best horse of the 2000s and a worthy inductee to the Hall of Fame in 2010. He attributed Point Given's fifth-place finish in the Derby to the combination of a foot infection and a very firm track at Churchill Downs. On a deeper track with more cushion, the foot did not bother the colt and trainer Bob Baffert remembered being very confident. "He's the best one I've ever led over for the Belmont", he said in 2010. "I knew he'd handle the distance. They can either go that far or they can't. You can't train that into them."Shulman Lenny Stevens, Baffert Recall Point Given's Belmont https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/141970/stevens-baffert-recall-point-givens-belmont BloodHorse.com 7 October 2016 One week before the Belmont, Point Given's "mischievous" antics gave cause for concern when he injured himself in his stall. He suffered a cut over the eye, then the medication made him start acting colicky so Baffert withheld his hay to avoid making the stomach problems worse. The colt reacted by crawling under the webbing in his stall, gashing himself in the side in the process. He was briefly loose from his stall, but was then caught by the grooms.Haskin Steve Point Given Finally Sprouts Wings http://cs.bloodhorse.com/blogs/horse-racing-steve-haskin/archive/2010/08/12/point-given-finally-sprouts-wings.aspx cs.bloodhorse.com 7 October 2016 Eight other horses entered the race. Point Given's main rivals were considered to be Derby winner Monarchos and Preakness runner-up A P Valentine. A P Valentine had won two of two starts at Belmont Park including the Champagne Stakes, in which he had defeated Point Given.Michaels Noel Point Given preps in 59.60 for Belmont https://www.drf.com/news/point-given-preps-5960-belmont Daily Racing Form 7 October 2016 The attendance was 73,857, the highest for the Belmont when a Triple Crown was not at stake. Race description Point Given broke well and settled in third place just behind the early leaders. After the first half-mile went in a reasonable 48 seconds, Point Given picked up the pace slightly and moved to the lead. He continued to draw away, encouraged by Stevens who remembered being run down late with Silver Charm in a previous running of the race. Point Given won by 12 1 4 lengths and finished in 2:26.56, equal to the fourth fastest Belmont ever. "He actually was idling with me a little and I thought somebody had to be coming," said Stevens. "I didn't know how far in front I was at the eighth pole and I didn't care. I knew he was going to get a rest afterward, and it was important for everybody to see how good he is." His connections had mixed emotions about the win. "I'm always going to be bittersweet about these two victories without a victory in the Kentucky Derby," Stevens said. "I'm not going to get greedy, but I feel like he's a champion and should have a Triple Crown next to his name."Joseph Dave Point Given proves a point in Belmont Stakes http://www.chicagotribune.com/sns-belmont-story.html chicagotribune.com 7 October 2016 A P Valentine finished second, 3 4 lengths ahead of Monarchos. His trainer Nick Zito said, "My horse ran his heart out again, but that other horse is in another zone." Chart FinishProgramNumberHorseMarginJockeyTrainerPost TimeOddsWinnings19Point Given12 1 4 Gary Stevens Gary Stevens (jockey) Bob Baffert1.30$600,00028 A P Valentine3 4 Victor Espinoza Nicholas Zito5.90$200,00035 Monarchos1 Jorge Chavez John Ward Jr.5.00$110,0004 3 Dollar Bill2 1 2 Pat Day Dallas Stewart 6.80$60,00051 Invisible Ink7 1 2 John Velazquez Todd Pletcher10.10 $30,00064 Thunder Blitz5 3 4 Jerry Bailey Josepht Orseno12.7076 Buckle Down Ben15 1 2 Corey Nakatani D. Wayne Lukas28.7582 Balto Star28 3 4 Chris McCarron Todd Pletcher12.0097 Dr Greenfield Edgar Prado Gerald Butler19.80 Source: Equibase Times: 1 4 — 0:23.95; 1 2 — 0:48.00; 3 4 — 1:11.78; mile — 1:35.56; 1 1 4 — 2:00.75; final — 2:26.56. Fractional Splits: (:23.95) (:24.05) (:23.78) (:23.78) (:25.00) (:25.80) Payout The 135th Belmont Payout Schedule Program Number Horse Name Win Place Show 9 Point Given $4.70 $3.70 $3.00 8 A P Valentine - $5.00 $3.90 5 Monarchos - - $4.20 $2 Exacta (9-8): $20.60 $2 Trifecta (9-8-5): $76.00 $2 Superfecta (9-8-5-3): $183.50 See also 2001 Kentucky Derby 2001 Preakness Stakes References 2 Category:Belmont Stakes races Belmont Stakes Belmont Stakes Belmont Stakes Belmont Stakes