Belmont was most-watched show of week

Estimated 33 million tuned in to Smarty Jones' loss The Associated Press Updated: 1:38 p.m. ET June 08, 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.

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.