Fifty-three years. That’s how long we’ve been waiting.
In the world of sports, records usually fall like dominos. Human athletes get faster, shoes get springier, and nutrition becomes a literal science. But in horse racing, specifically the "Test of the Champion," there is a ghost that nobody can catch. When you talk about the record time for the Belmont Stakes, you aren’t just talking about a fast horse. You’re talking about a mathematical impossibility that happened on June 9, 1973.
Secretariat. Big Red. The "tremendous machine."
He didn't just win. He evaporated the competition. He finished the 1 1/2-mile race in 2:24 flat. To give you some perspective, most horses that win the Belmont these days are happy to clock in around 2:27 or 2:28. In a sport where a "length" is roughly one-fifth of a second, Secretariat didn't just beat the field; he finished about 15 to 20 lengths ahead of where a "great" modern winner would be.
Honestly, it's kind of terrifying when you look at the numbers.
The Day the Clock Stopped Mattering
Most people know Secretariat won by 31 lengths. You've probably seen the grainy footage of jockey Ron Turcotte looking under his arm and seeing... absolutely nothing. But the time is the real miracle.
Before 1973, the record was 2:26 3/5, held by Gallant Man. Secretariat didn't just clip a tenth of a second off that. He took two full seconds and change off the record. In racing terms, that is a lifetime. It’s the equivalent of someone showing up to a 100-meter dash and winning by ten yards.
The Top 5 Fastest Belmont Stakes Times (at 1 1/2 miles)
- Secretariat (1973): 2:24.00
- Easy Goer (1989): 2:26.00
- A.P. Indy (1992): 2:26.13
- Risen Star (1988): 2:26.40
- Point Given (2001): 2:26.56
Look at that list. Even the legendary Easy Goer, who ran an absolute heater in '89 to deny Sunday Silence the Triple Crown, was still two full seconds behind Big Red. If Easy Goer had run that exact race in 1973, he would have been beaten by ten lengths. It’s just absurd.
Why 2:24 is Basically a Physics Glitch
You’ve got to understand how a 1 1/2-mile dirt race usually goes. Horses start fast, settle into a rhythm to save air, and then try to kick at the end. Their "splits"—the time it takes to run each quarter-mile—usually get slower as they get tired.
Secretariat didn't do that.
He ran the first three-quarters in 1:09 4/5. That's sprint speed. Then, instead of gasping for air, he just... kept going. His last quarter-mile was actually faster than his fourth and fifth quarters. He was accelerating at the end of the longest race of his life.
There's a biological reason for this that came out later. After Secretariat passed away in 1989, an autopsy revealed his heart was nearly three times the size of a normal horse's heart. It wasn't a disease; it was just a massive, perfectly functioning engine. He could pump more oxygenated blood than any animal he lined up against.
Basically, he had a bigger fuel tank and a bigger exhaust than anyone else.
The Saratoga Anomaly: Records at Other Distances
If you’ve been following the news lately, you might have seen some "record" talk involving Saratoga. Because of massive renovations at Belmont Park, the race was moved to Saratoga in 2024 and 2025.
But there's a catch.
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Saratoga’s track layout can't accommodate a 1 1/2-mile dirt race starting in the right spot. So, the distance was shortened to 1 1/4 miles. Dornoch won the 2024 Belmont Stakes at Saratoga in 2:01.64. That’s a fast time for ten furlongs, sure, but it’s not the record time for the Belmont Stakes in the way purists think about it.
The true record belongs to the 12-furlong "Big Sandy" at Elmont.
Does the Surface Matter?
You bet it does. Belmont Park is known as "Big Sandy" for a reason. The track is deep. It’s grueling. It swallows horses that aren't built for stamina. Saratoga is often "tighter" and faster. Even then, nobody is sniffing Secretariat's pace.
Nowadays, track superintendents prioritize safety over speed. In the 70s, tracks were often packed harder to produce lightning-fast times for the newspapers. Today, they keep the dirt "cushion" deeper to protect the horses' legs. This is great for the animals, but it makes breaking a 1973 speed record almost impossible.
Can Anyone Actually Beat It?
Short answer: Probably not.
Long answer: You would need a perfect storm. You’d need a horse with a genetic anomaly (like that massive heart), a track that is "sealed" (packed down by rain but then dried into a hard surface), and a pace setup where someone is brave enough to push a world-class leader early.
We’ve seen some monsters lately. American Pharoah was a machine. Justify was a powerhouse.
American Pharoah’s 2015 Belmont time? 2:26.65.
Justify’s 2018 time? 2:28.18.
Even the best horses of the modern era are finishing two to four seconds behind the 1973 ghost. It’s not that they aren't great; it's just that 2:24 is a different dimension.
How to Watch for a Record Pace
If you’re at the track or watching on TV, don't just look at the finish line. Look at the teletimer.
If a horse hits the mile mark (8 furlongs) in 1:35 or faster, they are moving. But to threaten the record, they need to be under 1:34.50. Most horses that go that fast early will "hit the wall" at the top of the stretch.
The Belmont Stakes is a game of oxygen management. To beat the record time for the Belmont Stakes, a horse has to ignore the laws of biology for two and a half minutes.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Bettors
- Check the Distance: When looking at "records," always verify if the race was 1 1/2 miles. Anything from 2024 or 2025 (at Saratoga) is 1 1/4 miles and won't compare to the historical 1 1/2-mile times.
- Track Condition is King: A "Fast" track is the only way a record happens. If the track is "Sloppy" or "Good," forget about the clock.
- The 2:26 Barrier: Any horse that runs under 2:27 is an elite, Hall-of-Fame level animal. Don't let the shadow of Secretariat make you think a 2:26 is "slow." It’s incredibly fast.
- Watch the Splits: If the leader goes the first quarter in 24 seconds and the second in 23, they are likely going to fade. Secretariat did the impossible by going 23 3/5 and then maintaining it.
The Belmont is returning to its 1 1/2-mile home at the newly renovated Belmont Park in 2026. When those gates open and the horses head into that massive first turn, everyone will be looking at the same clock that has been ticking since 1973. We're all just waiting for the next "tremendous machine" to show up.
Until then, 2:24 remains the gold standard that might never be touched again.