2002 Belmont Stakes
| Belmont Stakes | |
| Location |
Belmont Park Elmont, New York |
|---|---|
| Date | June 8, 2002 |
| Winning horse | Sarava |
| Jockey | Edgar Prado |
| Trainer | Kenneth McPeek |
| Owner | New Phoenix Stables and Susan Roy |
| Conditions | Fast |
| Surface | Dirt |
|
← 2001
2003 →
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The 2002 Belmont Stakes was the 134th running of the Belmont Stakes. The 1 1⁄2-mile (2,400 m) race, known as the "test of the champion" and sometimes called the "final jewel" in thoroughbred horse racing's Triple Crown series, was held on June 8, 2002, three weeks after the Preakness Stakes and five weeks after the Kentucky Derby.
War Emblem, trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by Victor Espinoza, was the race favorite after winning the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes in front-running fashion. However, he lost all chance of completing the Triple Crown after stumbling at the start of the race. Lightly regarded Sarava won at odds of 70-1, the biggest long-shot in the history of the Belmont Stakes.
War Emblem established himself as the horse to beat in the Belmont Stakes after wire-to-wire wins in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. Despite his racing ability, he was a temperamental colt known around the stable as "Hannibal Lector" for his habit of trying to bite anyone who came too close. Baffert was optimistic about the colt's chances, saying, "With [jockey] Victor [Espinoza], there's no thinking involved. Just get him out of the gate and let him go."
With Puzzlement a late scratch, ten other horses entered the race but only a few were given serious consideration by the bettors. War Emblem had already beaten most of the horses in the field, including Proud Citizen (2nd in the Derby, 3rd in the Preakness), Perfect Drift (3rd in the Derby), Medaglia d'Oro (4th in the Derby and 8th in the Preakness) and Magic Wiener (2nd in the Preakness). Of the "new shooters", the most highly regarded was Sunday Break, who had won the Peter Pan Stakes in May.
Trainer Kenneth McPeek had trained the beaten favorite for the Kentucky Derby, Harlan's Holiday. However, his entry in the Belmont was the lightly regarded Sarava, whose only win was the Sir Barton Stakes in May. "He's a nice horse," said McPeek. "He's a horse that's kind of coming together late. He's been a bit of a surprise for everybody, but at the same time, he's very well bred."
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