JC / Railbird

Met Mile

Belmont Day Figures

Creator noses out Destin to win the 2016 Belmont Stakes. Photo Credit: NYRA.

Beyer and TimeformUS speed figures for the Belmont Stakes day card:

Figures via DRF stakes results and TFUS figuremaker Craig Milkowski.

The WOW performance of Saturday afternoon was Frosted’s 14 1/4 length win in the Met Mile as the 2-1 favorite. His winning margin is believed to be a record for the race, as is his final time of 1:32.73. Watch the replay:

View the complete Belmont Stakes day playlist ›

Posted in Racing on June 12, 2016 / Tagged Belmont Park, Belmont Stakes, Cavorting, Creator, Flintsire, Frosted, Manhattan Stakes, Met Mile, Ogden Phipps Stakes, Speed Figures

Plainly Said

Dick Powell:

I love the Met Mile (G1) and hate that it is run on the Belmont Stakes undercard. It is a race worthy of its own big stage and should not share it with anyone.

Seconding the sentiment. It pains me to see a race as significant and historic as the Met Mile crammed into a bloated Belmont Stakes “Big Day” card between the Just a Game and the Manhattan Stakes. Restore it to Memorial Day!

Posted in Racing on June 5, 2015 / Tagged Belmont Park, Belmont Stakes, Big Days, Met Mile, New York

Bribon Wins Met Mile

The winner’s circle after the Met Mile this afternoon felt like a flashback to Saratoga last summer, and it wasn’t just the warm summery air or the festive track crowd. The same delighted connections who gathered then for a photo with Grand Couturier — winner of back-to-back Sword Dancer Stakes — were smiling at Belmont after Bribon — winner of the Westchester Handicap last month — won the Met Mile by a half-length over 3-1 co-favorite Smooth Air.

Trainer Robert Ribaudo said after the race that the 6-year-old gelding may get some time off before returning to race upstate. “There’s not a lot in the near future, but he deserves a little break,” said Ribaudo. “Maybe we’ll come back in Saratoga at seven-eighths.”

Final time for the Met Mile was 1:34.15 (with the final quarter in :25.6) after quick early fractions of :22.70, :45.20, 1:08.55 set by third-place finisher Driven by Success. Smooth Air, whose handler was persistently imploring, “Come on, Smoothie!”, well before the field turned into the stretch, became a millionaire with his $120,000 share of the purse. The win on Bribon was jockey Alan Garcia’s second in the race; the rider won on Divine Park in 2008.

Posted in Racing on May 25, 2009 / Tagged Belmont Park, Bribon, Met Mile, Photos, Winner's Circle