Time To Move The Belmont Stakes From Saturday To Sunday?

Walt Gekko · #1 06-01-2014, 05:38 PM

A thought that passed my mind as we await California Chrome's attempt at the Triple Crown in The Belmont Stakes June 7:

With NYRA having this year moved The Met Mile and other longtime major stakes to Belmont Stakes Day in large part to generate one of the biggest days of the year (as noted at The Paulick Report at: http://www.paulickreport.com/news/ra...cherry-on-top/), it had occurred to me, is it time to have the Belmont Stakes be run a day later than it currently is on Sunday?

The thought of running a Triple Crown race on a Sunday instead of a Saturday might seem sacrilege to some, however, unlike Louisville and Baltimore, where of course Churchill and Pimlico host the first two legs of the Triple Crown, New York is a lot different, with the biggest factor having the largest Jewish population in the world outside of Israel. For many of these people who observe the Sabbath (which runs from Friday at sundown to Saturday at sundown), they have never been able to see a Triple Crown race in person because of such having always been run on a Saturday. Another benefit would be not having to worry about a day after the Belmont Stakes program (which is being done this year for the first time since 2006, as I understand it to make up a program lost this past winter at Aqueduct) since Monday is a normal dark day. In addition, most horsemen would not mind having an additional day between the Preakness and Belmont Stakes.

Would NBC go for switching The Belmont Stakes from Saturday to Sunday? I actually think they not only would, but would love it because even though it would be right before an NBA Finals game on ABC, it would eliminate a problem that this year is rearing its ugly head for NBC due to a well-intended, but frankly antiquated FCC rule that prevents NBC from having the kind of blockbuster Saturday it could have on June 7: The Children's Television Act of 1990.

That act (known in some circles as the CTA with an explanation available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Childre...Television_Act) requires all network affiliates to air a minimum of three hours (total) of programming aimed at children every Saturday somewhere between the hours of 7:00 AM and 10:00 PM local time. It is very notable with NBC, which often has had to shorten the Saturday edition of TODAY from its scheduled two hours to either an hour or 90 minutes (and on some Saturdays, not air it at all) due to sports programming early in the afternoon so that NBC stations can meet this requirement. By moving The Belmont Stakes from Saturday to Sunday, it allows NBC to be better able to air a Stanley Cup Finals game on Saturday because NBC has to keep airtime free on Saturday afternoon in the unlikely event there is a rain delay in the Women's Final of the French Open (often played the Saturday morning of The Belmont Stakes). While the Men's Final of the French Open is that Sunday and there is the off chance that both finals have to be played on Sunday because of weather delays, it would not present the same problems for NBC because of no lights at Roland Garros. As a result, The French Open can't go much past 4:00 PM ET due to darkness in Paris (six hours ahead of New York), so The Belmont Stakes telecast on NBC would be minimally effected if it all were it moved from Saturday to Sunday, especially since in all likelihood a Sunday Belmont stakes telecast would be from 5:30 to 8:00 PM Eastern Time (with a post time for The Belmont itself of around 7:20 PM or so and) with one race following The Belmont Stakes.

Would the crowd be impacted by The Belmont Stakes being on Sunday instead of Saturday? Somewhat, as some people who have to be at work early on Monday might not be able to go, but that would be made up quite a bit by those as noted who have never been able to see a Triple Crown race in person because of the Jewish Sabbath.

NYRA would also in turn be able to turn Belmont Stakes Day into Belmont Stakes weekend by having a second big day on Saturday that could be headlined by the Coaching Club American Oaks (replacing the Acorn on that weekend) the day before The Belmont Stakes, returned to its former 1 ½ Mile distance and run for the same $1.5 Million the boys run for in The Belmont, returning the CCA to what it was for years, the female “Test of The Champion” on a Saturday that could also feature the Odgen Phipps, Just A Game and other big races for fillies as potentially the appetizer for a Sunday Belmont Stakes Day that could feature numerous stakes, but with the Carter replacing both the Met Mile and True North in the Belmont Stakes period, with the True North moved to another spot during the year and the Met Mile moved either back to Memorial Day OR to the Wood Memorial program in April at Aqueduct to kick off a new Handicap Grand Slam (that if arrangements could be worked out could also include as the second leg EITHER the Charles Town Classic at Charles Town OR the Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs (in either case, moved to the Saturday of the week before the Kentucky Derby) followed by the Pimlico Special on Preakness Day and concluding on Belmont Day with the Brooklyn, which would become the race immediately in front of The Belmont Stakes). The new Belmont Gold Cup on turf and prep races for the Belmont Park Oaks and Derby on turf could headline the Friday before the Belmont program in what can become a three-day Belmont Stakes festival with a Sunday Belmont.

The Triple Crown races being on Saturday dates back to a time when there was no Sunday racing. Given Sunday racing has been taking place at the Triple Crown tracks (and many others) for years and New York being a lot different than Louisville or Baltimore, it may be time to make the Belmont Stakes a Sunday race instead of Saturday.

#2 06-01-2014, 06:19 PM

They should also run clockwise to invite European horses to enter too.

Calzone Lord · #3 06-01-2014, 06:28 PM

All of the energy in horse racing is dedicated to fixing what isn't broke.

If it's broke? Don't fix it. Neglect it.

If it's not broke -- obsess over how it can be fixed.

Danzig · #4 06-01-2014, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Calzone Lord

All of the energy in horse racing is dedicated to fixing what isn't broke.

If it's broke? Don't fix it. Neglect it.

If it's not broke -- obsess over how it can be fixed.

OTM Al · #5 06-01-2014, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by helicopter11

They should also run clockwise to invite European horses to enter too.

They used to once upon a time. The last one to win it turning right was quite famous.....

Indian Charlie · #6 06-01-2014, 10:51 PM

Walter Parker?

#7 06-01-2014, 11:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OTM Al

They used to once upon a time. The last one to win it turning right was quite famous.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3rhQc666Sg

dylbert · #8 06-02-2014, 07:18 AM

And Tnomleb is Belmont spelled backwards... More nonsense to go with this thread.

joeydb · #9 06-02-2014, 07:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Calzone Lord

All of the energy in horse racing is dedicated to fixing what isn't broke.

If it's broke? Don't fix it. Neglect it.

If it's not broke -- obsess over how it can be fixed.

Well said, and all too true.

my miss storm cat · #10 06-02-2014, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Walt Gekko

Somewhat, as some people who have to be at work early on Monday might not be able to go, but that would be made up quite a bit by those as noted who have never been able to see a Triple Crown race in person because of the Jewish Sabbath.

I'm not Jewish and I mean no disrespect but if people of any faith are so religious that horse racing is something that cannot be part of any given day (I was raised Catholic and had no idea until this year that wagering wasn't allowed on Palm Sunday and Easter in certain places, for example) are they really (I mean wtf is up with that?

) going to take part in any great numbers? I think not.

People need to stop fussing and fretting and creating problems...

knickslions2 · #11 06-02-2014, 12:41 PM

Who wants to be hung over on a Monday.

parsixfarms · #12 06-02-2014, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by knickslions2

Who wants to be hung over on a Monday.

Football fans.

knickslions2 · #13 06-02-2014, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by parsixfarms

Football fans.

joeydb · #14 06-02-2014, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by my miss storm cat

I'm not Jewish and I mean no disrespect but if people of any faith are so religious that horse racing is something that cannot be part of any given day (I was raised Catholic and had no idea until this year that wagering wasn't allowed on Palm Sunday and Easter in certain places, for example) are they really (I mean wtf is up with that?

) going to take part in any great numbers? I think not.

People need to stop fussing and fretting and creating problems...

I'm Catholic too and a frequent conflict in schedule is either seeing a big race or going to the Saturday Mass so I don't have to get up early on Sunday.

Safe to say I will not be going to Saturday Mass this week...