1988 Belmont Stakes - Risen Star

Only his father ran a faster Belmont Stakes than Risen Star did yesterday, and only three racing legends have won the race more easily.

Risen Star, Secretariat's best son, blew past Winning Colors after a mile and drew off to a tremendous 14 3/4-length victory in the 120th Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park. Kingpost was second with Brian's Time third as Winning Colors, the popular filly who won the Kentucky Derby May 7, tired badly to finish last in a field of six.

Risen Star's time of 2:26 2/5 under Eddie Delahoussaye was the second-fastest Belmont ever, surpassed only by Secretariat's world-record dirt time of 2:24 in 1973, widely considered the greatest performance in modern racing history. Risen Star's winning margin was smaller only than Secretariat's (31 lengths), Count Fleet's (25 lengths in 1943) and Man o' War's (20 lengths in 1920).

Risen Star, who paid $6.20 for $2 to win as the favorite, earned not only the Belmont winner's purse of $303,720 but also the $1 million Triple Crown bonus for compiling the best record in the three classic races. He finished third to Winning Colors and Forty Niner in the Kentucky Derby, then won the Preakness at Pimlico May 21.

http://www.nytimes.com/1988/06/12/spo...