Final answer:
To calculate the time it would take Northern Dancer to run the Belmont Stakes, you multiply the ratio of the Belmont Stakes distance to the Kentucky Derby distance by Northern Dancer's Kentucky Derby time. This results in an approximate time of 1 minute and 40 seconds for the Belmont Stakes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The problem is asking us to calculate how long it would take a horse, Northern Dancer, to run the Belmont Stakes based on its Kentucky Derby time. The Kentucky Derby is 1.5 miles, and the Belmont Stakes is 1.25 miles. Northern Dancer completed the Kentucky Derby in 2 minutes. Since the Belmont Stakes is shorter, we can expect Northern Dancer to complete it in a shorter time, all other factors being the same.
To find the time it would take for Northern Dancer to run the Belmont Stakes, we can use the formula:
Time = (Distance of Belmont Stakes / Distance of Kentucky Derby) × Time of Kentucky Derby
Substituting the given values:
Time = (1.25 miles / 1.5 miles) × 2 minutes
Time = (0.8333) × 2 minutes
Time = 1.6666 minutes
Therefore, it would take Northern Dancer approximately 1 minute and 40 seconds (rounded to the nearest second) to run the Belmont Stakes, assuming a consistent speed.