Bill Text: NY K00611 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

New York Assembly Resolution 611

Introduced

Bill Title: Memorializing Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim June 10, 2023, as Belmont Stakes Day in the State of New York

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Passed) 2023-06-05 - adopted [K00611 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-K00611-Introduced.html


Assembly Resolution No. 611

BY: M. of A. Solages

        LEGISLATIVE    RESOLUTION    memorializing  Governor
        Kathy Hochul to proclaim June 10, 2023,  as  Belmont
        Stakes Day in the State of  New York, and commending
        the  New  York Racing  Association upon the occasion
        of the 155th running  of the Belmont Stakes

  WHEREAS, The Belmont Stakes is one of the  most  important  sporting
events  in New York State; it is the conclusion of thoroughbred racing's
prestigious three-contest Triple Crown; and

  WHEREAS, Preceded by the Kentucky Derby and  Preakness  Stakes,  the
Belmont  Stakes  is  nicknamed  the  "Test  of  the Champion" due to its
grueling mile and a half distance; and

  WHEREAS, The Triple Crown has only been completed 12 times;  the  12
horses  to  accomplish this historic feat are: Sir Barton, 1919; Gallant
Fox, 1930; Omaha, 1935; War Admiral, 1937; Whirlaway, 1941; Count Fleet,
1943; Assault, 1946; Citation, 1948; Secretariat,  1973;  Seattle  Slew,
1977; Affirmed, 1978; and American Pharoah, 2015; and

  WHEREAS,  The  Belmont Stakes has drawn some of the largest sporting
event crowds in New York history, including 120,139 people for the  2004
running of the race; and

  WHEREAS, This historic event draws tens of thousands of horse racing
fans  annually to Belmont Park and generates millions of dollars for New
York State's economy; and

  WHEREAS, The Belmont  Stakes  is  shown  to  a  national  television
audience of millions of people on network television; and

  WHEREAS,  The  Belmont  Stakes  is  named  after August Belmont I, a
financier who made a fortune in banking in the middle to late 1800s;  he
also branched out into politics and New York society; and

  WHEREAS, The fourth oldest stakes race in North America, the Belmont
Stakes was first run in 1867 at Jerome Park for a purse of $1500; and

  WHEREAS,  In  1973,  Secretariat  put  together  one of the greatest
performances in sports history  by  taking  the  Belmont  Stakes  by  31
lengths in stakes record time to complete the Triple Crown; and

  WHEREAS, The 2015 Triple Crown winner, American Pharoah, is the 12th
horse  to win the Triple Crown, and the first to win the Triple Crown in
37 years; and

  WHEREAS, American Pharoah is the first  Triple  Crown  winner  since
Affirmed  won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes in
1978; and

  WHEREAS, Horse racing is an integral part of New  York  as  well  as
American  history;  on  May 5, 1905, Thomas Edison made one of the first
recorded videos in history at the grand opening of Belmont Park; and


  WHEREAS,  It is fitting and proper for this Legislative Body to take
note of such a prestigious sporting event which brings  great  pride  to
the  horse  racing  industry  as  well as all the citizens of this great
Empire State; and

  WHEREAS, It is, in addition, of utmost importance to honor the sport
of horse racing in New York State on its biggest day; now, therefore, be
it

  RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its  deliberations  to
memorialize  Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim June 10, 2023, as Belmont
Stakes Day in the State of New York, and to commend the New York  Racing
Association  upon  the  occasion  of  the  155th  running of the Belmont
Stakes; and be it further

  RESOLVED, That copies of this  Resolution,  suitably  engrossed,  be
transmitted  to The Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of New
York, and to the New York Racing Association.