The 2020 Triple Crown begins on Saturday, as the coronavirus pandemic forced a major shift in the horse racing calendar. Instead of opening with the biggest race of the year at Churchill Downs, the first leg of the Triple Crown will be a shortened edition of the Belmont Stakes, which typically is the last leg.
In order to protect the horses, the Belmont Stakes has been reduced to a 1 1/8 mile race, down from its usual 1 1/2 mile distance. For obvious public health reasons, there will be no spectators at Belmont Park, which is typically packed with a crowd of 100,000.
Here’s the current 2020 Triple Crown schedule:
June 20th: Belmont Stakes
September 5th: Kentucky Derby
October 3rd: Preakness Stakes
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