laurel park

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — One thing about the Triple Crown: Fans do not get cheated, at least when it comes to the number of races on the big day.

Just as Churchill Downs did for the Kentucky Derby and Laurel Park did two weeks later for the Preakness, Saratoga Race Course has scheduled 14 races Saturday, highlighted by the Belmont Stakes. It’s the third and final year the Belmont will be run at the upstate New York track while Belmont Park is being rebuilt.

While Laurel started its card at 7:30 a.m. PDT, the Saratoga card follows Churchill’s schedule and begins at 8 a.m. PDT, or 11 a.m. on the East Coast. And, just like the other two headline races, the Belmont is scheduled to start at 4:04 p.m. PDT, or 7:04 p.m. EDT.

It will be the 13th race of the day, with official post time listed at four minutes past the hour.

The biggest difference Saturday from the Derby and Preakness is where fans can watch the races. Fox, not NBC, has the rights to the Belmont.

The first seven races can be seen on FS2 as part of the New York Racing Assn.’s regular “America’s Day at the Races” program, which starts at 7:30 a.m. PDT and continues until noon. The eighth race, at 12:25 p.m. PDT, also will be covered by that crew but will air on Fox.

The network’s official Belmont show begins at 1 p.m. and continues until 4:30. Curt Menefee again is the host, with analysts Tom Amoss and Richard Migliore, plus handicappers Jonathan Kinchen and Chris Fallica, with other contributors such as Charissa Thompson and Tom Rinaldi.

Thompson also will host an alternate telecast geared for horseplayers from 1-4:30 on FS1.

The last of Belmont’s 14 races is set to begin just past 5 p.m. PDT, or 8 p.m. in the East. But don’t worry … FS2 will carry that and it won’t interrupt the Belmont Stakes post-race coverage.

The Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park, Md., could feature a historic finish even if there is no chance to produce a Triple Crown winner this year.

The Preakness post time is 4:01 p.m. PDT. The race will air on NBC.

Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo isn’t running the Preakness. Cherie DeVaux, the first woman to train a Derby winner, said the schedule was too tight for Golden Tempo, with two weeks between races.

But trainer Brittany Russell has prepared Taj Mahal for the race and could follow up on DeVaux’s big win with one of her own. Russell would be the first female trainer to win the Preakness and could extend a potential female trainer Triple Crown bid in an industry long dominated by men.

“It would sort of feel like probably a fairy tale,” Russell said of a potential win. “ … It would mean an awful lot.”

Iron Honor in the ninth post position opened the day favored slightly at 9-2. Taj Mahal in post No. 1, Chip Honcho in post No. 6 and Incredibolt at post No. 12 were not far behind with 5-1 odds.

Taj Mahal has one other edge, winning three previous races at Laurel Park, home of the Preakness.