Just like my post on the Kentucky Derby, this one will be a bit lengthy. Scroll down if you just want to look at the pictures.
This one is going to start on a sad note. The weekend before I was to leave for Belmont, my uncle was admitted to the ICU and things did not look good. I drove to New York with my friends, Ting Shen and Rena Naltsas, with the constant worry that I would have to fly back home in case things turned for the worse and then fly back to New York in time for the race. There was no way my uncle or my family would ever want me to miss a potential Triple Crown and the best part was that several people in my family, including myself, came to that conclusion on their own. Thankfully, for my own sanity and comfort, my uncle didn't pass until the week after the race, but I did fly home the day right after the race to be with my family as soon as I could.
Throughout the week leading up to the race while thinking about my uncle, I realized how proud he has been of me. Since the Kentucky Derby, he has been sharing nearly all of my Instagram photos and links to my blog posts on Facebook. It was a tough loss for the entire family and a roller coaster for me. Just about 48 hours after the Belmont Stakes, he passed away, and that was a huge change in my mindset.
On to the photography!
So California Chrome didn't win and that sucks. I was really excited to be one of the rare few that got to witness a Triple Crown on their first time following all three races, but that didn't happen and now I'm just like everyone else who hasn't seen one. One thing I learned during this experience was that it really takes a lot of energy (mental and physical) out of you.
A few of the highlights during raceday was walking over 5 miles with an 800mm lens with me 90% of the time (it was not fun), being able to look through Canon's monster 1200mm lens, meeting some Getty staffers and shooting with an 800mm as my primary and 200-400 as my secondary (how many times can you say a 200-400 isn't your primary?!). I guess this would be a good time to promote CPS (Canon Professional Service) since I wouldn't have been able to use an 800mm without them.
I shot two morning workouts with the 800mm so I could get used to it for the actual race. I even shot one of California Chrome's baths with it while laying down and shooting through a chain-link fence that was 20 feet in front of me. I didn't get any interesting shots from that, everything was typical.
The Belmont Racetrack is a bit different than Pimlico (Preakness) and Churchill Downs. The start and the finish are at the same place, and if you want to shoot from a head-on position, you have to be just under 1/4 mile away from it. I have a few photos to attempt to show the scale of that distance. Oh and by the way, the 1200mm was a perfect lens to be shooting from that far away, you wouldn't have to even crop much. I was shooting next to Sports Illustrated's Jeff Kavanaugh and Getty's Streeter Lecka, Jeff with the 1200 and Streeter also with an 800mm.
I usually post only 10 photos but this time will be a few more. The first few shots are not of California Chrome, but all that follow are and in chronological order. Before the photos of the race, I included a picture from the finish-line looking towards my shooting position. After that are two photos with a cropped version and the original, for even more scale.
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| A panorama while standing about 10-15 feet away from the inside rail, looking at the stands at the finish-line |
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| June 6, 2014: Scenes from morning workouts at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Jon Durr/ESW/CSM |
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| June 5, 2014: Scenes from morning workouts at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Jon Durr/ESW/CSM |
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| June 5, 2014: Scenes from morning workouts at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Jon Durr/ESW/CSM |
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| June 6, 2014: Scenes from morning workouts at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Jon Durr/ESW/CSM |
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| June 6, 2014: Scenes from morning workouts at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Jon Durr/ESW/CSM |
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| June 5, 2014: Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner California Chrome prepares for the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. California Chrome and racing fans are awaiting his attempt to be the first Triple Crown winner in 36 years. Jon Durr/ESW/CSM |
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| June 6, 2014: Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner California Chrome prepares for the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. California Chrome and racing fans are awaiting his attempt to be the first Triple Crown winner in 36 years. Jon Durr/ESW/CSM |
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| June 6, 2014: Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner California Chrome prepares for the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. California Chrome and racing fans are awaiting his attempt to be the first Triple Crown winner in 36 years. Jon Durr/ESW/CSM |
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| June 6, 2014: Exercise Rider Willie Delgado smiles laughs while Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner California Chrome is bathed after a workout for the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. California Chrome and racing fans are awaiting his attempt to be the first Triple Crown winner in 36 years. Jon Durr/ESW/CSM |
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| The Belmont Stakes logo in the infield on raceday about 90 minutes before post. |
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| Standing at the finish line looking towards my shooting position just under 1/4 mile away. |
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Note: the file dimensions after cropping are 1113x661
June 7, 2014: California Chrome, ridden by Victor Espinoza and Matterhorn, ridden by Joe Bravo, run out of the gate in the Belmont Stakes on Belmont Stakes Day in Elmont, NY. Jon Durr/ESW/CSM |
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| June 7, 2014: California Chrome, ridden by Victor Espinoza and
Matterhorn, ridden by Joe Bravo, run out of the gate in the Belmont
Stakes on Belmont Stakes Day in Elmont, NY. Jon Durr/ESW/CSM |
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| June 7, 2014: California Chrome, ridden by Victor Espinoza (right) and Commissioner, ridden by Javier Castellano (center) enter the first turn in the Belmont Stakes on Belmont Stakes Day in Elmont, NY. Jon Durr/ESW/CSM |
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| June 7, 2014: Victor Espinoza, aboard California Chrome, reacts after not winning the Belmont Stakes on Belmont Stakes Day in Elmont, NY. Jon Durr/ESW/CSM |
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| June 7, 2014: Victor Espinoza, aboard California Chrome, reacts after not winning the Belmont Stakes while Joel Rosario aboard Tonalist (right) is interviewed after winning on Belmont Stakes Day in Elmont, NY. Jon Durr/ESW/CSM |
