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Belmont Stakes to replace Kentucky Derby as first leg of Triple Crown, run at a shorter distance

Like everything else in sports this year, horse racing’s Triple Crown will have a different look.

The New York Racing Association announced on Tuesday that the Belmont Stakes will take place on June 20, replacing the Kentucky Derby as the first leg of the Triple Crown for the first time in the sport’s history.

The news arrives a day after New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo pledged to help start sports up again in the state following the COVID-19 shutdown. The Belmont Stakes takes place at Belmont Park just outside of Queens.

Race will be shorter

The June 20 run date is two weeks after its initially scheduled June 6 running.