<p>First run in 1867 and still taking place every summer, the Belmont Stakes, a horse race for thoroughbred three-year-olds, was one of the oldest races in the United States.</p>
<p>(A) was<br>
(B) is<br>
(C) were<br>
(D) are<br>
(E) has been </p>
<p>the answer is (B) is, but my question is, it says " First run in 1867 and still taking place every summer" which connects the past with the present, so shouldnt the answer be in present perfect " has been" ?</p>
<p>I must admit, I chose has been too</p>
<p>However, if you put has been, you’ll get
has been one of th oldest races.</p>
<p>The thing that is repeating is one of the oldest things? I think not. The beginning is just there to through u off.</p>
<p>A quick tip to remember is that you should NEVER use “has been” when a specific date is mentioned. The presence of the year 1867 in the sentence should be a hint to not use the obvious choice, “has been”</p>
<p>[ENGLISH</a> PAGE - Present Perfect](<a href=“http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/presentperfect.html]ENGLISH”>Present Perfect Tense | ENGLISH PAGE)</p>