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The Belmont Stakes concludes the American Triple Crown for three-year-old Thoroughbreds and represents a unique challenge due to its 1 1/2-mile distance. Most participants will never be asked to travel that far again in their racing career.

Held at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, just outside the confines of New York City in Long Island, the Belmont Stakes takes place three weeks after the 1 3/16-mile Preakness. The 1 1/4-mile Kentucky Derby kicks off the Triple Crown series on the first Saturday in May, two weeks prior to the Preakness.

Horses that compete in all three races, in a five-week time period, are undertaking an extreme test of both endurance and stamina, and the Triple Crown will exact a severe toll upon some runners.

It used to be far more common for horses to compete in all three legs of the Triple Crown, but only Crown winner American Pharoah was up to the challenge in 2015. Five Belmont Stakes starters came from the Kentucky Derby last year, skipping the Preakness, and another went the Preakness-Belmont Stakes route after missing the Kentucky Derby.

The Kentucky Derby and Preakness serve as the main feeder races for the final leg and Belmont Park offers a local prep, the Peter Pan Stakes, four weeks out, in-between the first two legs of the Triple Crown.

Belmont Park has run the Dwyer in the Peter Pan’s place before, but that date is always reserved as a Belmont Stakes prep race.

The 2014 Belmont winner, Tonalist, prepped in the Peter Pan, earning his first stakes victory in that event. Other Belmont Stakes winners who used that date on the calendar in preparation include Drosselmeyer (2010), Lemon Drop Kid (1999) and A.P. Indy (1992).

At 1 1/2 miles, Belmont Park’s main track is the biggest in North America and it’s a long way from the top of the stretch to the finish line. Horses don’t need experience over the track to run well at Belmont Park, but it helps to have a jockey who is familiar with the unique dimensions of the massive oval aboard.