History Of Belmont Park

First opened in May 1905, Belmont Park provides American Thoroughbred horse racing with one of its most spectacular venues. With the largest dirt course in Thoroughbred racing - a whopping mile-and-a-half main dirt track - Belmont Park features, among other things, the Jockey Club Gold Cup, Metropolitan Handicap, and most importantly the Belmont Stakes, the final race in America's Triple Crown. Most of the great racehorses of the twentieth century have competed there, including Secretariat, whose statue graces the park paddock (and whose 31-length victory in the 1973 Belmont Stakes may well be the greatest feat in the history of horse racing).


It all begins with the Belmont Stakes. Named, most likely, for August Belmont, Sr. - himself a notable man, not only the American representative of the famous Rothschild banking family but also the son-in-law of Commodore Matthew Perry, the Navy official who in 1854 brokered the opening of Japan to the West - the great stakes race, financed in part by Belmont, first ran in 1867. In the early years not Belmont Park (which wasn't built until 1905) but Jerome Park Racetrack, in the Bronx, hosted this popular race, the popularity of which helped to ensure the building of the eponymous Long Island venue, which was the largest of its kind at that time. (Ironically, its Nassau County location places it only a few miles from the site of the 1665 meet that was the first horse race ever held in North America.)

The victory in that first Park race went to Tanya, a filly. From that year on the Park has continued to provide the platform for one unlikely, unheralded, or hard-fought victory after another: Peter Pan in 1907, the never-defeated Colin in 1908, Man O'War in 1920, Citation in 1948. Because of its unusually long distance - one at which most three-year-olds have never raced - and its placement as the final leg of the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes set the scene for some of horse racing's greatest triumphs and defeats: consider filly Ruffian's near-victory in a 1975 "battle-of-the-sexes" match race over Foolish Pleasure, which ended tragically when several bones in the former horse's leg snapped (the euthanized horse is now buried in the infield).

Or think of the epic homestretch battle between Affirmed and Alydar in 1978, which ultimately led to Affirmed's Triple Crown win. This last and longest of the Triple Crown races serves up surprises with perhaps a bit more reliability than the Kentucky Derby or Preakness Stakes - witness Rags to Riches' stunning 2007 victory, the first by a filly in over a century.

Though it's often been subject to reconstruction during the storied 105 years of its existence, Belmont Park retains a few vestiges of the original (now called Old) Belmont Park. The iron railings that border the horses' walking ring are relics of the park's original grandstand (they were salvaged during demolition), as are the four stone pillars displayed on Hempstead Turnpike (which date to the opening of the South Carolina Jockey Club in 1792).

The original clubhouse and Turf and Field Club venues were destroyed during the 1950s, as was the Widener Course, a seven-furlong straightaway cutting diagonally through the training and main tracks which had been introduced during Joseph E. Widener's long tenure as the track's manager.

Aside from its place in the history of racing, Belmont Park has its place in American pop culture as well. It's inspired its own drink (the Belmont Breeze), has been featured in movies and television ("The Odd Couple," Woody Allen's Mighty Aphrodite, "Everybody Loves Raymond"), and its own premier stakes race has been televised yearly since 1960.

A little-known fact about Belmont: during the racing ban of 1910-12, the park made aviation history when the Wright Brothers chose it as the final venue of the international aerial tournament of 1902-10.

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a Review of the 2008 Toyota Rav4 Suv

The 2008 Toyota RAV4 is both innovative and reliable, with several new features that offer safety as well as practicality. Impressive new features include the RAV4’s tire pressure monitoring, which alerts the driver when tire levels are critically low. There’s also a DVD rear entertainment system with headphones for passengers.


The 2008 RAV4 offers several standard safety features, including front and side curtain airbags, and a 3-point seatbelt system in all seating positions. Its novel cruise control with brake deceleration lets the drive slow down while without turning off the control feature. The RAV4, though sporty, is designed with the family in mind. It has child-protector rear door locks, and a restraint system with tether anchors.

Halogen headlamps, chrome or black grilles and black roof rails and cross bars add to the striking appearance of the RAV4, while high solar energy-absorbing glass make it an advanced model.

Interior comfort is provided by the RAV4’s air conditioning with filtration and driver and front passenger heated seats, along with 50/50 third row seats with fold-flat-into-floor capability for additional storage. The RAV4 comes standard with an AM/FM CD player, MP3/WMA playback capability, and six speakers. Other options include a 6-disc in-dash changer, WMA-MP3 playback capability and up to nine speakers. Bluetooth and satellite radio capabilities also are available.

Toyota includes in each RAV4 an amber-illuminated tri-dial Optitron display including speedometer, tachometer and fuel gauge meters. There’s also an LCD odometer with twin tripmeters and seatbelt disconnect, airbag, door-ajar, battery, oil pressure, brake, and Vehicle Stability Control, which is designed to aid the driver in controlling the vehicle in adverse road conditions. The RAV4 comes with a 166-horse power, 4-cylinder or 269-horse power, V6 engine.

Toyota’s 2008 RAV4 combines technology, safety and affordability, making it one of this year’s most appealing SUVs on the market.
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Audi Confirms Participation at Lms

Audi is fresh from its domination of the American Le Mans Series but earlier in the year, it was not clear whether the German automaker will participate in the Le Mans Series in Europe.

Recently though, the automaker which has won last year's 24 Hours of Le Mans confirmed that they will be participating at the endurance race series. Audi will once again campaign with its Audi R10 - a diesel powered race car which has dominated the American Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.


Former Formula One driver Allan McNish will once again pilot the Audi R10 along with teammate Dindo Capello. The pair has won last year's American Le Mans Series championship and will be looking to continue their good showing on European soil.

McNish who hails from Scotland is visibly pumped with the chance of winning a title in his home soil. He is also motivated to win the title as it has eluded him time and time again in the past.

"Having now won the American Le Mans Series title three times, I'm delighted to be racing again regularly in Europe," said McNish. "My career began in 1987 and I've come close to championship success in Europe on a couple of occasions only to just miss out."

The Scot said that he last raced in Europe four years ago not counting his appearances in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. "I last raced sportscars regularly in Europe in 2004 and started the final race that year leading the championship but missed out."

The R10 has not made an appearance in any endurance race series in Europe. The prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans of course is not included as it only happens once a year. Therefore, McNish is excited with the prospect of competing in European soil on tracks where the R10 has never prowled before.

"I'm really looking forward to racing at places like Monza, Spa and Silverstone again – especially for the first time in Audi's pioneering diesel-engined sportscar," said McNish.

Audi is expected to make the R10 more efficient and faster even if it is not equipped with Audi spark plug wires as it is diesel powered. Peugeot will also be entering the competition with a diesel powered racecar. The rivalry between the two is just starting and McNish is aware of this. "We're likely to face very stiff competition in the LMS in terms of possible race and championship glory but Audi always relishes fierce competition as do I," he concluded.
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Buy a New Car And Getting A Great Deal

The cost of a new car nowadays equals about what my parents paid for their first home. It is not a purchase to be taken lightly. You want to do everything possible to ensure you get a great deal.

Never rush your decision. If you are completely without transportation, rent a vehicle until you find the right car. When you rush a purchase, you usually end up on the losing end of the deal.


Never rush your decision. If you are completely without transportation, rent a vehicle until you find the right car. When you rush a purchase, you usually end up on the losing end of the deal.

Thanks to the Internet, you can uncover the typical retail cost of a specific make and model. With a little digging, you can find out the wholesale cost as well. This information makes you a powerful negotiator.

You want a win win situation with the car dealership. They need to make some profit, and you need to feel you paid a fair price. It is fair to negotiate to a price that is $500 above dealer cost or about 20% off the sticker price. So take along your calculator when you shop.

If the only cars on the lot have expensive options you do not care for, you might want to order a car to your specifications. You might wait a bit, but will save money on options you don't need.

Check with the dealership to see if you can return the car if you do not like it. I did this once. The car I purchased ended up less comfortable than my old car, so the next morning I took it back for my check and my trade in. Many dealerships now offer this option.

You may have heard the advice to shop the last day of the month for better deals. It is true that you might get a better deal from a salesman then.

As far as trade ins go, do your research here, too. Knowing the value of your old car makes it easier to negotiate a better price for it. Try not to talk about a trade in possibility until you get a purchase price.

I researched the value of my little red Corolla and found that it was $3500. One dealership offered me $1200 because they would have to repaint it. Another dealership offered me $3500 and complimented me on taking such good care of the engine. Stick to your guns when it comes to getting the value of your trade in, especially if you have had your car serviced regularly.

You may want to advertise your older car and sell it privately. Typically you can get a better price this way, but it may take a little time.

A service contract will likely be brought into the negotiation. The consumer information I have read discourages buying an extra contract on a new car, as it is not likely a problem will occur during the first months of use.

Whatever you do, always read the fine print of any contract before signing it. Ask a bazillion questions about what certain phrases mean if you do not understand something.

Simply because the car just rolled off the factory line does not mean you should buy it without asking questions. Keep on your toes during the negotiation process. There is nothing like the thrill of getting a new car AND creating a win win situation for you and the dealer.
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Car Mats: a Super Utility Car Accessory

One of the dreams of people around the world is to own cars. A desire which long back gained the form of craze. No wonder every new model of the car is received with great enthusiasm and fanfare and witnesses a virtual assault by people who just want to own this wonderful machine. However, it is ironical that car accessories which can actually make or break the reputation of any car is given little or no attention. Prime example of such a flawed thinking is car mats. These objects are massively useful for a car. And why not, after all they protect the cars from dust and water. Unfortunately majority of people are oblivious to the importance of mats and this ignorance cost them dearly as the performance of there cars get affected.


A few more examples would explain such points very nicely. Take the examples of car accessories like stereo. A super utility car accessory, it is supremely useful in fighting boredom and fatigue that inevitably creeps in long journeys. Such is its use that rarely would one find a car without having a car stereo. Similar is the case with roof box, another of the utility accessory. Its worth is most realised at a time when one either want to shift to some other location or when he has to ferry lot of luggage. Such accessories are very important and deserve to be taken up seriously.

Remember the performance of your car and its utility hinges a great deal on these car parts. Any compromise here can lead to the performance of the car taking a severe beating. The morale of the story, therefore, is very clear. One has to give attention to car accessories like car mats if one wants his car to perform nicely.

If accessories like car mats are given due importance then there cannot be an iota of doubt that car would perform at its best.
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