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There will be emotion in the air on June 6, when American Pharoah vies for the highly coveted Triple Crown at Belmont Stakes. As part of the fun related to this 147th annual horse race, Flushing Town Hall will exhibit Stable Views: Life in the Backstretch of the Thoroughbred Racetrack, which includes 25 images and objects from Belmont Park, which straddles the Queens-Nassau county line, and upstate’s Saratoga Springs.

The backstretch is a spot within a racetrack that’s usually out of sight from the public viewing and betting areas. It can include stables, barns, and temporary housing for trainers. However, “backstretch” can also refer to the community of workers — assistant trainers, exercise riders, horse owners, jockeys, trainers, etc. — who come together to make a racetrack function.

On the evening before Belmont Stakes, June 5, the cultural center will host a reception and talk with Ellen McHale, the exhibit’s curator and the executive director of the New York Folklore Society. Stable Views will then run until June 28 with free admission.

In addition, Flushing Town Hall will present Design Your Own Racing Silks on June 7. Participants in this family-friendly workshop will tour the display, view a demonstration by acclaimed silk-maker Antoinette Brocklebank and design their own racing silks.  

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Details: Stable Views: Life in the Backstretch of the Thoroughbred Racetrack, Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Boulevard, Flushing, June 6 to June 28 (gallery hours are Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 5 pm), $5 for opening on June 5. Design Your Own Racing Skills takes place on June 7 at 1 pm and costs $12/$10 for children.

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Photos via Flushing Town Hall


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