Belmont Lexington Stakes

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The Belmont Lexington is a Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run over a distance of one and one eighth miles (nine furlongs) on the inner turf course at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.

Thoroughbred Horse breed developed for racing

The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are considered "hot-blooded" horses that are known for their agility, speed, and spirit.

Furlong A unit of length equal to 220 yards still used widley in horse racing

A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and U.S. customary units equal to one eighth of a mile, equivalent to 660 feet, 220 yards, 40 rods, or 10 chains.

Sod grass and roots beneath

Sod or turf is grass and the part of the soil beneath it held together by its roots or another piece of thin material.

Named after one of America's greatest race horses as well as foundation sires, Lexington (The Blind Hero of Woodburn), the race is a listed stakes event and offers a purse of $1.

United States federal republic in North America

The United States of America (USA), commonly known as the United States or America, is a country composed of 50 states, a federal district, five major self-governing territories, and various possessions. At 3.8 million square miles, the United States is the world's third or fourth largest country by total area and is slightly smaller than the entire continent of Europe's 3.9 million square miles. With a population of over 327 million people, the U.S. is the third most populous country. The capital is Washington, D.C., and the largest city by population is New York City. Forty-eight states and the capital's federal district are contiguous in North America between Canada and Mexico. The State of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east and across the Bering Strait from Russia to the west. The State of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U.S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, stretching across nine official time zones. The extremely diverse geography, climate, and wildlife of the United States make it one of the world's 17 megadiverse countries.

Lexington (horse) 19th-century American Thoroughbred racehorse and sire

Lexington was a United States Thoroughbred race horse who won six of his seven race starts. Perhaps his greatest fame came however as the most successful sire of the second half of the nineteenth century; he was the leading sire in North America 16 times, and of his many brood mare and racer progeny one was Preakness, namesake of the famous race at Pimlico.

A graded stakes race is a thoroughbred horse race in the United States or Canada that meets the criteria of the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA). A specific grade level is then assigned to the race, based on statistical analysis of the quality of the field in previous years, provided the race meets the minimum purse criteria for the grade in question. Graded stakes races are similar to Group races in Europe but the grading is more dynamic in North America.

Inaugurated in 1961 at Aqueduct Racetrack as the Lexington Handicap, it would have been in its 44th running in 2008 but appears to be discontinued. It is not listed as running in 2009 on the official Belmont site.

Aqueduct Racetrack is a Thoroughbred horse-racing facility and racino in the South Ozone Park and Jamaica neighborhoods of Queens, New York City. Its racing meets are usually from late October/early November through April. The racetrack is located adjacent to a casino called Resorts World New York City.

Past winners

Edgar Prado American jockey

Edgar S. Prado is a Peruvian-born American jockey, a U.S. Racing Hall of Fame jockey in thoroughbred horse racing.

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