What’s the official drink of the race?
triple-crown-drinks.jpgAlthough the Belmont is the oldest of the three Triple Crown races, its signature drink is still relatively young. The Belmont Breeze, which was invented by “the King of Cocktails,” Dale DeGroff has been served since the 1997 race. The drink eschews the relative simplicity of the Derby’s mint julep and the Preakness’ Black-Eyed Susan in favor of a modern rendition of a whiskey punch. DeGroff’s original recipe included a mixture of blended whiskey, Harveys Bristol Cream Sherry, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, fresh orange juice, and cranberry juice. All of these ingredients are shaken together and topped with 7 Up and soda, then garnished with strawberry, a lemon piece, and a sprig of mint. The result is a refreshing, if complicated, summer drink.Prior to the Belmont Breeze’s birth, the White Carnation was the race’s tipple; it’s a concoction of vodka, peach schnapps, orange juice, soda water, and cream.
Black Eyed Susan Drink Recipe:
1/2 ounce Brandy
1/2 ounce white crème de menthe
2 ounces Mandarine Napoleon Orange Liqueur
Place ingredients inside a shaker half filled with ice cubes. Shake and serve in a chilled glass.
Who was the race’s biggest winner?
Secretariat’s run in 1973 pretty much speaks for itself. It set the world record for a mile and a half dirt race at 2:24, and impressively blew the rest of the field out of the water. “Big Red” as he was nicknamed, sped across the finish line a full 31 lengths ahead of his closest pursuer. The run was so impressive that thousands of people who had bet on Secretariat to win never cashed their tickets, choosing instead to keep them as a memento of the dominant performance
