Fast track expected for Belmont Stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. - Horsemen and handicappers can expect a fast main track by post time for Saturday's 141st Belmont Stakes, NYRA maintenance officials said Saturday morning.

"I would think so," said Glen Kozak, the New York Racing Association's direct of racing surfaces. "With a little luck."

Though it was cloudy Saturday morning, the rain is gone. The forecast calls for increasing sunshine as the day goes along with a high temperature of 80 degrees.

The track will be labeled good to start the card, which begins at 11:35 a.m. Post time for the Belmont Stakes is 6:27 p.m. As of 9:30 a.m., the turf courses were going to be labeled soft. Kozak said the courses would be re-evaluated by around noon to see if they could be upgraded.

Races 4, 5, 7, and 10 will be run on the grass. It was announced Friday that races 12 and 13 would be taken off the turf.

* NYRA is offering turf course updates on its .