Belmont Stakes Watch Party

By now, you’ve surely heard about the excitement surrounding this year’s Triple Crown. With the high stakes of the 2015 Triple Crown, now’s the time to get in on the action, but where should you start? At Racer’s Off-Track Betting at Riverwind, of course!

A little background:

The Triple Crown is a series of three races including the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes and finally the Belmont Stakes. The final race in the Triple Crown series, the Belmont Stakes, which also boasts the longest track in U.S. thoroughbred racing, takes place this Saturday, June 6.

This weekend’s Belmont Stakes is stealing the sports’ spotlight for one big reason: American Pharoah. This powerful horse earned trips to the winner’s circle at both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, and many believe he will be the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years.

Some Triple Crown fast facts:

• Since the last winner in 1978, 13 horses have entered the starting gates at Belmont with the chance to win the Triple Crown – all 13 failed
• Only 11 horses have taken the Triple Crown since 1919
• Winning the Triple Crown is considered the greatest accomplishment of a thoroughbred racehorse in the United States
• Sir Barton was the first horse to win the Triple Crown in 1919 and Affirmed was the last in 1978
• The world record holder of the Belmont Stakes is Secretariat (2:24), the 1973 Triple Crown champ

The pros believe American Pharoah, together with jockey Victor Espinoza, has the endurance and stamina to go the distance at Belmont. He beat the odds at the Kentucky Derby by starting at an outside gate and made up significant distance early, maintaining the energy needed to win the race. He beat the odds (and the rain) at Preakness by becoming the first horse to win from the number one post position on that track since 1994. There’s no doubt that this horse is up to the challenge. The question is, can American Pharoah end the Triple Crown drought?

Ready to place your bet?

At Racer’s Off-Track Betting, you can begin placing your bets as early as 9 a.m. and when you come to Racer’s Off-Track Betting, here are a few things you’ll need to know. First, you’ll need to know the track and the race you want to bet on. Since there are multiple races that day, it’s important to know which race you’re choosing. Additionally, you’ll need to know which horse you want to win. There will be guides to help you find the number of the horse you want to pick, so find that information before heading to the kiosk or betting window.

A few quick terms you should know:

• Win – Choose the horse that finishes first
• Place – Choose the horse that finishes first or second
• Show – Choose the horse that finishes first, second or third
• Exacta – Pick the first two horses to cross the finish line in the exact order
• Exacta box – Pick the first two horses to cross the finish line in any order
• Trifecta – Pick the first three horses to cross the finish line in the exact order
• Trifecta box – Pick the first three horses to cross the finish line in any order

To learn where to go and how to place a bet using our self-serve kiosks or at the betting window, watch our video from last year’s Kentucky Derby.

Now that you are a Triple Crown know-it-all, we’d love to see you on race day! We’ll be watching the races all day in the Showplace Theatre during our Race for the Carnations viewing, and the Belmont Stakes featured race begins at 5:40 p.m. You won’t want to miss this historic event, so join us for the best Belmont Stakes watch party in OKC.