Today is the final leg of the Triple Crown, taking place at Belmont Raceway, in Elmont New York. The 1.5 mile thoroughbred horse race has a post time of about 6:27pm, with live television coverage broadcast by ABC, starting at five o’clock ET. Growing up in Floral Park (just blocks away from Belmont), we spent many weekends at the racetrack. I was there in 1973 when Secretariat one the Triple Crown, although being eight years old, I remember the cartoons on the big screen better than the race. Now living in California, I’ll watch Belmont live on TV, rather than walk to the track. Today’s 2009 Belmont Stakes doesn’t have a horse with a chance to be a Triple Crown Winner, but it does have a jockey, whose name is Calvin Borel (Kentucky Derby on Mine That Bird and Preakness Stakes on Rachel Alexandra).

Mine That Bird and Calvin Borel will likely be the center of attention in the 2009 Belmont Stakes, at least until a horse and jockey cross the finish line. If they win the Belmont horse race, be prepared for more of the excitement seen in the 2009 Kentucky Derby, as Calvin has shown he’s full of spizzerinctum. For jockey Calvin Borel (who rode Mine That Bird in the Kentucky Derby and Rachel Alexandra in the Pimlico Preakness Stakes), a win at the 2009 Belmont Stakes would be history in the making, with him becoming the first jockey to win the Crown on different horses. ABC television (with live belmont stakes tv coverage) would be happy about that too.