Pre-1970s Belmonts

These are from copyrighted videos, it appears:

Arts and Letters 1969:



Stage Door Johnny 1968:

link

Damascus 1967 (poor video clip):



Quadrangle 1964:



Chateaugay 1963:

1979 Belmont Stakes.

The most disgusting Belmont Stakes of all time: Spectacular Bid, the heavy favorite to win the Triple Crown and should have, was screwed over by a poor ride by jockey Ron Franklin. Bid finished third to Coastal and Golden Act:




Ron Franklin never rode him again. Bid lost only once more, to Affirmed in the 1979 Jockey Club Gold Cup. He came in second. Bid had an undefeated record his four-year-old season.

I wrote about Spectacular Bid and the Belmont in my obituary of the great horse here.

Coastal was a son of Majestic Prince, a horse who won the 1969 Derby and Preakness but lost to Arts and Letters in the Belmont.

You can watch the 1969 Belmont Stakes here. Majestic Prince was sore and should not have run. He went into the race undefeated, and after his loss he was retired. Arts and Letters went on to be Horse of the Year.