Attending the Belmont Stakes: Everything you need to know about the horse race and its long history

Fox News senior meteorologist Janice Dean and milliner Christine Moore talk different types of hats at the Belmont Stakes.

The Belmont Stakes wraps up the Triple Crown series each year in June. The horse race has a long history behind it, considering it is the oldest of the three races. 

Horse racing causes a lot of chatter in the sports world during the Triple Crown season, with thousands heading to the track to catch a glimpse of the race in person. Those who do not go to the track may choose to make a bet on which horse (or horses) they think is going to cross the finish line first. 

There have been many memorable performances in the long-running race, the most notable being with Secretariat's win in 1973.

The Belmont Stakes are the oldest of the three Triple Crown horse races. (Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

BELMONT STAKES VS PREAKNESS STAKES: WHAT SEPERATES THE TWO HORSE RACING EVENTS FROM EACH OTHER 

Here is a dive into the Belmont Stakes, its history and things you can expect if you are heading to race. 

A limit of 12 horses can run in the Belmont Stakes for safety purposes, according to Legal Sports Report. The number of horses that race each year differs, but there are very rarely 12. The number is usually lower. A horse that has won both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes, the first of the three Triple Crown races, is guaranteed a spot in the Belmont Stakes. 

Secretariat set the record for the fastest Belmont Stakes time in 1973. He finished with a time of 2:24 flat and beat his rivals by 31 lengths. Secretariat still holds the record for fastest Belmont Stakes time today. The others in the top five are Easy Goer, who won with a time of 2:26 in 1989, A.P. Indy who won with a time of 2:26.13 in 1992,