Belmont was most-watched show of week

Estimated 33 million tuned in to Smarty Jones' loss

Horse racing

Big Brown's trainer, jockey mend fences

Congress to investigate sport for safety

Desormeaux: 'I was done. I had no horse.'

Celizic: Belmont Brown-out won't doom sport

Brunker: Big Brown delivers big letdown

Mad Dog: I'm glad Big Brown flopped

Vote: When will we see next Triple Crown?

Feature: Triple Crown winners, near-misses

Discuss: Sound off on horse racing

Slide show

Exercise rider Michelle Nevin and a groom walk Triple Crown hopeful Big Brown in the paddock before the 140th running of the Belmont Stakes horse race at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York

No crown for Big Brown
Big Brown fails to capture Triple Crown as long shot Da' Tara goes on to win the 140th running of the Belmont Stakes

more photos

Special feature

Triple Crown winners
Only 11 horses have won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes in the same year.

NBCSports.com

Join the Debate

NBC recently held a panel discussion on Eight Belles' tragic breakdown and other controversies currently swirling around the horse racing industry. Click on the links below to hear expert opinions and share your own thoughts.

Roundtable part I - risks and dangers

Roundtable part II - Eight Belles, steroids

Alex Waldrop on ridding racing of steroids

Hammond on drugs, synthetic courses

VOTE: Is speed or durability more important?

VOTE: Should drugs be banned from racing?

VOTE: What part of horse racing needs change?

Share your thoughts on message boards

updated 1:06 p.m. ET June 10, 2004

NEW YORK - The ratings for Smarty Jones’ failed Triple Crown bid at the Belmont Stakes were the highest for the race since 1981.

NBC’s coverage of Birdstone’s upset on Saturday drew an 11.3 rating with a 26 share, 19 percent higher than the 9.5 with a 23 share that last year’s race got when Empire Maker ruined Funny Cide’s attempt at the Triple Crown.

The ratings were the highest since the 1981 Belmont when Pleasant Colony’s unsuccessful Triple Crown bid got a 12.6 with a 36 share.

Story continues below ↓

The coverage, which ran from 5:28-7:19 p.m., was also the week’s highest-rated network program. The rating peaked with a 15.8 with a 35 share from 6:30-7 p.m., the time during which the race was run.

NBC’s coverage of the three Triple Crown races — the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont — averaged an 8.3 rating with a 20 share. That’s up 22 percent from last year’s 6.8 with an 18 and is the highest since 1989 when Sunday Silence’s Triple Crown try generated a 9.1 with a 26 share.

The rating is the percentage of all homes with TVs, whether or not they are in use. Share is the percentage of homes with TVs in use. Each rating point represents about 1.08 million households.