Belmont Park Race Track: Rainy Weather Means Conditions Could Be Wet

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The Belmont Stakes always stands as the longest of the three Triple Crown races in a given year. But with the weather forecast looking like rain in Elmont, New York, the Belmont Park track could be very wet for the 2011 Belmont Stakes, making this an even slower race than usual.

The Albany Times-Union reports that the Belmont Park track is wet as of Saturday morning, and that the current condition of that track could be exacerbated by more rain throughout the day before the Belmont post time. After a week of high temperatures at the Belmont in the run-up to the race, showers have dominated Saturday, and could make for a wet, muddy race if they persist through the afternoon.

The Times-Union also notes that two horses in the Belmont field have won on wet tracks: Ruler On Ice and Monzon. But Shackleford's trainer has suggested his horse could handle a wet course; it's less clear whether morning favorite Animal Kingdom would thrive or struggle on a muddy track.

Need to pick a winner? Check out our 2011 Belmont Stakes preview. Look back on our 2011 Preakness StoryStream to get up to speed To look back at the Derby, check out SB Nation's 2011 Kentucky Derby StoryStream. Also, our horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come has two must-read resources for Belmont fans: A Beginner's Guide To Following Horse Racing and a glossary of horse racing terms.