2025 Belmont Stakes Contenders & Odds

Journalism & Sovereignty To Clash in 157th Belmont Stakes

Grade 1 Preakness-victor and Derby runner-up Journalism will battle Sovereignty, the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby-winner, among the field of eight sophomores in Saturday's 157th running of the Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course.

A blockbuster Belmont Stakes Day awaits with a program to include five Grade 1 events among eight stakes in total, culminating with the Belmont Stakes and featuring two Breeders' Cup "Win And You're In" qualifiers for 3-year-olds and up: the Grade 1, $1 million Hill `n' Dale Metropolitan Handicap going one mile out of the Wilson Chute [Dirt Mile] and the 5 1/2-furlong turf Grade 1, $500,000 Jaipur [Turf Sprint].

The Belmont Stakes is slated as Race 13 on the 14-race card with a post time of 7:04 p.m. Eastern. First post is 10:45 a.m.

Godolphin's Kentucky homebred Sovereignty [post 2, Junior Alvarado, 2-1 ML] closed to win the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on May 3 at Churchill Downs by 1 1/2 lengths over Journalism. Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, the Into Mischief bay clipped heels with a rival and traveled in 16th-of-19 early under Junior Alvarado, but steadily made up ground behind the 22.81 seconds, 46.23 and 1:10.78 fractions over the sloppy and sealed going.

Journalism advanced to vie for command turning for home in the 1 1/4-mile test and Sovereignty followed his move, ranging up outside the new leader in the lane, with the pair dueling under the Twin Spires into the final sixteenth.

Sovereignty passed the favored Journalism in deep stretch and carried the signature Godolphin blue silks across the line 1 1/2 lengths in front for the organization's first Derby score. The final time of 2:02.31 registered a career-best 104 Beyer Speed Figure.

"He's been good since the race," said Mott, who saddled Drosselmeyer to win the 2010 Belmont. "He's just made good, steady progress. He's remained good. He's been training well, eating well, and he feels good. So, we are pleased. He has maintained his physical wellbeing quite well since the Derby."

Godolphin USA's director of bloodstock Michael Banahan mirrored Mott's report.

"He seems to be in great shape and we're very happy with him," said Banahan. "He's come out of the Kentucky Derby in great shape and he's settled back into Saratoga. We're looking forward to the race.

"That's very much Bill's style to give him time between races," Banahan continued. "The Derby was always the goal, and it's a race that Godolphin's founder Sheikh Mohammed [bin Rashid Al Maktoum] has tried to win multiple times in different ways... we were very fortunate that it was Sovereignty who was able to do it."

Sovereignty was making his second top-level attempt in the Derby off a 1 1/4-length second to Tappan Street in the Grade 1 Florida Derby in March at Gulfstream Park, where that rival got a clear jump on him and prevailed. Sovereignty previously closed to win the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth there, and he also captured the Grade 3 Street Sense as a maiden in his third start as a juvenile at Churchill Downs.

Sovereignty is out of the unraced Bernardini mare Crowned. His second dam is Mushka, who Mott trained to win the 2009 Grade 1 Spinster. Godolphin's Kentucky homebred Essential Quality captured the 2021 Belmont.

Journalism [post 7, Umberto Rispoli, 8-5 ML] ran back two weeks after the Derby and won the Grade 1 Preakness by a half-length over Gosger. Trained by Michael McCarthy, the Curlin bay was in tight in the upper stretch of Pimlico Race Course, but muscled through rivals nearing the three-sixteenths under Umberto Rispoli en route to a resilient victory.

"The Preakness victory speaks for itself," said McCarthy, who seeks his first Belmont triumph and saddled Rombauer to a third place finish in 2021 after winning the Preakness. "The horse and rider were obviously very brave. He seems like he bounced out of it well and is enjoying himself up here."

After Journalism finished third in his six-furlong debut in October at Santa Anita Park, he won four consecutive races leading up to the Triple Crown. He graduated second-out at Del Mar before teaming up with Rispoli to capture the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity, Grade 2 San Felipe and Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby- the San Felipe returning a field-best 108 Beyer.

McCarthy said a good start will be imperative in the Belmont. Journalism bumped with a foe at the start of the Derby and was in tight during the early going as rivals jostled for position.

"I'd like to have those first hundred yards over again. I'd like to have a clean break and find ourselves a little bit closer to the pace first time past the wire, but I thought he ran very well in the Derby," McCarthy said.

Journalism, an $825,000 purchase at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale, is campaigned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Bridlewood Farm, Don Alberto Stable, Robert LaPenta, Elayne Stables 5, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith.

C R K Stable and breeder Grandview Equine's Baeza [post 6, Flavien Prat, 4-1 ML] finished a 1 3/4-length third in the Kentucky Derby and was gaining on the aforementioned duo late. Trained by John Shirreffs, the McKinzie bay exited the outermost 19th post under Flavien Prat after drawing into the Derby field as an also-eligible.

"Baeza shipped in really well to Saratoga. Right now, I'm very happy with how things are," said Shirreffs, who sent out Tiago to a third-place finish in the 2007 Belmont Stakes. "He really stepped up in the Derby when not having the best of trips, he didn't get out in time and then made a really good run."

After his third-out graduation going one-mile in February at Santa Anita, Baeza stepped up to finish a close second to Journalism in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby. Like Sovereignty, he makes his first start since the Kentucky Derby.

"I think we need a good trip. Somewhere in this race, we need something to happen that is a positive that gives our horse an opportunity to win," Shirreffs said. "In these kinds of races, that is always what you are looking for."

Baeza, out of 2024 Broodmare of the Year Puca, is a half-brother to last year's Belmont Stakes-winner Dornoch and 2023 Kentucky Derby-victor Mage. The $1.2 million purchase at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale looks to follow in Dornoch's footsteps to become half-siblings to win consecutive Belmonts, like Jazil and the filly Rags to Riches from 2006-07.

Perhaps it is a good omen that namesake Hall of Fame jockey Braulio Baeza captured the Belmont over three different surfaces, aboard Sherluck in 1961 at old Belmont; Chateaugay in 1963 at Aqueduct Racetrack; and Arts and Letters in 1969 at the second Belmont Park.

The last time the top-three finishers of the Kentucky Derby all ran in the Belmont was 2013: Derby-winner Orb was third, runner-up Golden Soul was ninth, and third-place finisher Revolutionary was fifth in the "Test of the Champion."

Hall of Famer Bob Baffert sends out Rodriguez [post 3, Mike Smith, 6-1 ML] as he looks for his third Belmont after past scores with Point Given [2001] and Triple Crown-winners American Pharoah [2015] and Justify [2018].

Rodriguez, with blinkers off, captured the nine-furlong Grade 2 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino last out on April 5 at Aqueduct Racetrack under three-time Belmont-winning Hall of Famer Mike Smith. He made the body of the Kentucky Derby, but was an early scratch due to a foot issue, instead honing in on the Belmont.

"I think he's doing as well as he was before the Wood. He's running against some pretty tough horses, Sovereignty, Journalism, the really top horses, but we are shipping in there and I feel good about it," said Baffert. "He was doing awesome until his breeze before the Derby, then he had the foot issue, and we had to wait on that, but that's all healed up and behind him now."

Baffert said Rodriguez reminds him a lot of his sire Authentic, whom he trained to 2020 Horse of the Year and Champion 3-Year-Old Colt honors.

"He's a light-bodied horse, with a lot of speed, and he's getting better with age," Baffert said. "He's going to get better throughout the summer. I think by the fall, he'll be at his peak. He was immature like his sire, who got better as he got a bit older."

Rodriguez, a $485,000 purchase at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, is owned by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert Masterson, Tom Ryan, Waves Edge Capital and Catherine Donovan.

Five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown did not have a starter in the Kentucky Derby or Preakness but is in the Belmont with a fighting chance with Amo Racing USA's Hill Road [post 1, Irad Ortiz, Jr., 10-1 ML], last-out winner of the Grade 3 Peter Pan, the traditional New York prep for the Belmont Stakes, on May 10 at Belmont at the Big A.

The Quality Road bay closed to win the nine-furlong Peter Pan by three-quarter lengths over McAfee, coming from 8th-of-9 early after a stumbling start and finishing on his left lead.

"Flavien [Prat] said he was moving forward so rapidly that he didn't want to break his momentum, so he just kind of rolled with him through the wire," Brown said of Hill Road's lead change. "He runs straight, but hopefully he can get over that and switch leads. I'm not sure why he does it, he is a very sound horse, but nevertheless it is something that is sort of part of him, so hopefully he matures out of it."

The Peter Pan was Hill Road's second start for Brown following a barn debut third when adding blinkers in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby in March. He made his first three starts for trainer Adrian Murray, capped with a third in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile in November at Del Mar after a pair of turf outings in Ireland.

Brown, whose best Belmont finish was Gronkowski's second in 2018, said this will test Hill Road, who adds the services of two-time Belmont winning rider Irad Ortiz, Jr. [2016 Creator, 2022 Mo Donegal].

"You have the Preakness and Derby winner in there, so that is a tough race, and a third-place horse in the Derby, that is lightly-raced and on five weeks' rest that is a good horse, too. He'll [Hill Road] have his work cut out for him, for sure, with all of those things to overcome," said Brown.

Hill Road looks to join Counterpoint [1951], High Gun [1954], Gallant Man [1957], Cavan [1958], Coastal [1979], Danzig Connection [1986], A.P. Indy [1992], Tonalist [2014], and Arcangelo [2023] as Peter Pan winners to subsequently score in the Belmont.

Jim And Claire Limited's Heart of Honor [post 8, Saffie Osborne, 30-1 ML] finished fifth in the Preakness when making his stateside debut and could improve with the seasoning. Trained by Jamie Osborne, the British-bred Honor A.P. dark bay was fractious in the gate and off a step slow, traveling last-of-9 and 15 lengths back through three-quarters, before closing mildly for an 8 3/4-length fifth.

"This has been an easier preparation for him than he had into the Preakness," said Osborne, whose daughter Saffie will ride, looking to become the second female jockey to win the Belmont in addition to Hall of Famer Julie Krone aboard Colonial Affair in 1993. "Basically because he hasn't been moving from strange stable to stable on a lorry or on an airplane. He has had a bit of time to settle in at Saratoga, and I think that is going to be beneficial."

Heart of Honor, out of the Chilean Group 1-winning Scat Daddy mare Ruby Love, will look for a smoother start in order to win his first American race. He has the overseas form indicative of a contender, finishing a close second in Meydan Racecourse's Group 2 U.A.E. Derby, Group 3 UAE Two Thousand Guineas and the Al Bastakiya.

"We've been doing a fair bit of gate work, and he'll be doing more between now and Saturday," Osborne said. "We are not expecting him to break from the gate first. It is probable he will break from the gate in the second half of the field, but as long as he doesn't give them the same head start he gave them."

Heart of Honor looks to join a select group of British-breds to win the Belmont, most recently done by Celtic Ash in 1960.

Bobby Flay and James Ventura's Crudo [post 5, John Velazquez, 15-1 ML] was a pacesetting 7 1/2-length winner of the 1 1/16-mile restricted Sir Barton on Preakness Day May 17 at Pimlico. Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, the son of 2018 Triple Crown-winner Justify broke his maiden second-out in similar fashion sprinting about seven furlongs in April at Keeneland.

"To me, the most impressive thing about the Sir Barton is the way he galloped out," said Pletcher. "He's by a Triple Crown winner when the Belmont was a mile and a half. I think the distance suits him.

"I don't think he needs to be in front," Pletcher added. "He has enough natural speed that depending on what the pace scenario is, he could find himself on the lead. I would assume Rodriguez would probably be looking for the lead. We'll see how we break and how it unfolds."

In his longest race to date, Crudo will look to become Pletcher's fifth Belmont-winner with Hall of Famer and two-time Belmont champ Johnny Velazquez aboard [Rags to Riches, 2007; Union Rags, 2012]. The Ken McPeek-trained Sarava won the Sir Barton ahead of upsetting the 2002 Belmont at 70-1.

Pletcher also sends out WinStar Farm and Repole Stable's Uncaged [post 4, Luis Saez, 30-1 ML], who will need to improve from a last-out sixth in the Peter Pan as he travels two turns for the second time.

Uncaged's sire Hall of Famer Curlin was defeated a head by the Pletcher-trained filly Rags to Riches in the 2007 Belmont. Additional past Belmont scores for Pletcher are Palace Malice [2013], Tapwrit [2017] and Mo Donegal [2022].

"He's a well-bred horse, bred for the distance," Pletcher said of the $450,000 purchase at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale out of Grade 3-winner Dark Nile. "He will need to make a big move forward, but you can't do it without trying."

Luis Saez, who navigated Dornoch to victory last year and Essential Quality in 2021, will be aboard the 2-for-4 prospect for the first time in the afternoon. Uncaged graduated on debut sprinting six furlongs in August here and captured a one-turn mile optional claimer in April at Aqueduct.

May 29 - The field for the 2025 Belmont Stakes on June 7 is now in focus. All eyes are towards a potential rematch between Sovereignty, the Kentucky Derby winner, and Journalism, the Preakness winner!

Sovereignty

Kentucky Derby winner in impressive fashion, closing from well off the pace to best Journalism. First-ever Derby win for owner Godolphin and jockey Junior Alvarado. Connections decided to skip the Preakness and train towards the Belmont Stakes instead.

Journalism

Heroic winner of the Preakness, overcoming massive trouble and bumping in the stretch to chase down Gosger. Valiant second to Sovereignty in the Kentucky Derby two weeks prior. Set for a potential rematch with Sovereignty in the Belmont Stakes.

Baeza

Drew into the Kentucky Derby as an also-eligible, finishing third behind Sovereignty and Journalism. His prior start was a hard-fought second to Journalism in the Santa Anita Derby.

Hill Road

Last-out winner of the Peter Pan, the traditional local prep for the Belmont Stakes. A win in the Belmont Stakes would be the first for all connections.

Rodriguez

Frontrunning winner of the Wood Memorial in early April. Entered in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, but scratched from both due to a foot bruise. Returns here in the Belmont Stakes.

Heart of Honor

Narrowly second-best in the UAE Derby in April. Most recent start came in the Preakness, closing from the back to finish fifth.

Crudo

A newcomer to the Triple Crown trail, Crudo enters off of two consecutive wins, including in the Sir Barton on the Preakness Day undercard. This aptly named colt is owned in part by celebrity chef Bobby Flay.

Uncaged

Broke his maiden on debut here at Saratoga in August. Most recent start came in the G3 Peter Pan, a well-beaten sixth to Hill Road.

Heart of Honor Preps for Belmont Stakes at Saratoga

May 22 - Jim And Claire Limited's Heart of Honor, fifth in the Grade 1 Preakness at Pimlico Race Course, arrived at Saratoga Race Course and walked the shedrow as he begins preparations for the Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes.

Trained by Jamie Osborne, Heart of Honor, who was piloted in the Preakness by Osborne's daughter Saffie Osborne, was fractious in the gate and off a step slow. The Honor A.P. colt was last-of-9 and 15 lengths off the pace through three-quarters in 1:10.23 and made a wide rally down the lane to finish fifth, defeated 8 3/4-lengths by the victorious Journalism.

He graduated at second asking at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai where he landed first or second in five outings, including a win in the one-mile Dubai Maritime City on January 10 and a close second in the one-mile Group 3 UAE 2000 Guineas on January 24.

Heart of Honor entered the Preakness from a heartbreaking nose second in the Group 2 UAE Derby in April to Admire Daytona, who was subsequently off-the-board in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby.

Jamie Osborne said Heart of Honor will work on his gate issues in the weeks leading up to the Belmont.

"He gave himself a massive disadvantage on the day in the gate," Osborne said of the Preakness effort. "We've got a couple of weeks to work on that and try and improve that again. He improved while we were in Dubai and got a lot of practice into the UAE Derby. We did a fair amount of practice into the Preakness and it didn't work. So, we need to do a bit more practice and get him to relax in the gate and if he goes in there and relaxes, he should jump out all right."

Osborne said the $172,341 purchase at the 2024 Arqana 2-Year-Old Breeze Up Sale exited the Preakness in good order.

"He's eating well and done well since the race. He's pretty bright," Osborne said. "It's a nicer preparation for him [heading into the Belmont] than he had going into the Preakness. Most of the weeks before the Preakness he either spent it on an airplane or a lorry."

Osborne said the team will monitor Heart of Honor's progress in Saratoga before deciding whether or not to breeze him.

"We wouldn't be massive fans of breezing him too tight to a race, but we'll see how he is," Osborne said.

Heart of Honor is out of the winning Scat Daddy mare Ruby Love. His third dam is the dual graded-stakes placed Wild Rush mare Vous. Heart of Honor has banked $400,919 via a 7-2-4-0 record.

Journalism - Preakness Winner Belmont Status TBD

May 18 - McCarthy and Aron Wellman, founder and president of Eclipse Thoroughbreds and the managing partner of the ownership group, said that since Journalism will be considered for the Belmont Stakes (G1) on June 7 at Saratoga Race Course, he could be shipped to Saratoga or to McCarthy's Kentucky base at Churchill Downs.

McCarthy, whose main stable is at Santa Anita Park in Southern California, said a decision on where to go will be made in a day or two. In his remarks Sunday morning Saratoga sounded like a more likely destination.

"It puts him in a position to run," McCarthy said. "He could go back to Churchill Downs and hang out for a week or two and then make his way to Saratoga. But it seems a little counterproductive to go 12 hours by van back to Kentucky to head back to New York, whether it be by plane or by van. Aron's here to talk about it."

In the Belmont Stakes, Journalism could meet Sovereignty, who beat him by 1½ lengths in the Kentucky Derby (G1) on May 3.

G3 Peter Pan Winner Hill Road eyes Belmont Stakes

May 11 - Hill Road (Amo Racing USA) announced his presence in the sophomore division when closing to win the Grade 3, $200,000 Peter Pan, contested over nine furlongs at Belmont at the Big A.

The Peter Pan Stakes is the traditional prep for the Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes, which will be contested at a distance of 10-furlongs at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday, June 7 as part of the five-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. NYRA will waive the entry and starting fees to the Belmont Stakes, excluding the supplemental fee, for the first three finishers in the Peter Pan.

Five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown did not have a starter in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby, but he believes Hill Road could appear in the last leg of the Triple Crown.

"He bounced out of the Peter Pan in good shape," Brown said. "Hopefully once we get him back under tack and he's healthy and good, we will go onto the Belmont."

Hill Road, piloted by reigning Eclipse Award-winning jockey Flavien Prat, closed from 8th-of-9 to a three-quarter lengths victory over McAfee, who had just overtaken his Rick Dutrow, Jr.-trained stablemate Captain Cook for the lead. The victory in a final time of 1:49.22 earned a career-best 94 Beyer Speed Figure, and note that the Quality Road bay stumbled at the start and did not switch leads in the lane.

"He ran really well. He got a little bit of pace, which was nice. I didn't think on paper that there would be any pace. We still have to work on switching his leads a bit in the lane, but the horse ran really good and came out good," said Brown.

Hill Road improved from a pair of thirds in his two previous stateside outings, finishing 4 3/4 lengths back of Citizen Bull in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile in November at Del Mar for trainer Adrian Murray before being transferred to Brown and finishing 6 1/4 lengths behind Owen Almighty in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby on March 8.

Of the slow start Saturday, Brown said, "That is him. To be honest, he was in a better position than in his first start for me [in the G3 Tampa Bay Derby], so I was happy where he was down the backside."

Hill Road was initially targeting the Grade 2 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino on April 5 here, but was forced to miss the race with a fever. Brown said he was expecting a big comeback effort in the Peter Pan despite scratching from the Wood.

"I was not surprised - it was a good spot for him," said Brown. "After a little bit of a layoff, it was a reasonable spot for him to get going again. It wasn't too difficult of a race, it was at the right distance, at least off a layoff, and I think at a mile and a quarter you'll see the best of him. That's what he's been looking for."

Bred in Kentucky by Lynch Bages LTD and Camas Park Stud, Hill Road was a $350,000 purchase at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and is out of the winning Lemon Drop Kid mare Exotic Notion, a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-winning multimillionaire and top sire City of Light.

Sovereignty skipping Preakness, will target Belmont Stakes

May 6 - Sovereignty, the Kentucky Derby winner, will skip the Preakness Stakes on May 17 and point to the Belmont Stakes on June 7 at Saratoga, according to a release from the Pimlico press department.

"We received a call today from trainer Bill Mott that Sovereignty will not be competing in the Preakness," Mike Rogers, the executive vice president of 1/ST Racing, said in a release. "Bill informed us they would point toward the Belmont Stakes.

The Belmont Stakes Racing Festival is being held at Saratoga for the second time to allow for the uninterrupted construction of a new Belmont Park. Due to the configuration of Saratoga's main track, the 2025 Belmont Stakes will be contested at 1 1/4-miles rather than the traditional 1 1/2-miles.

A blockbuster Belmont Stakes Day at Saratoga awaits on Saturday, June 7 with a program to include five Grade 1 events among eight stakes in total, culminating with the Belmont Stakes and featuring the Grade 1, $1 million Metropolitan Handicap going one mile out of the Wilson Chute for 3-year-olds and up, and the 5 1/2-furlong turf Grade 1, $500,000 Jaipur Stakes also for 3-year-olds and up. The prestigious and historic Grade 1s on Belmont Stakes Day also includes the 1 3/16-mile turf $1 million Resorts World Casino Manhattan for older horses and the seven-furlong $500,000 Woody Stephens for sophomores.

Belmont Stakes Day will be bolstered by the Grade 2, $300,000 Wonder Again for sophomore fillies traveling 1 1/16 miles on turf, as well as a pair of Grade 3s, including the 6 1/2-furlong $400,000 True North for older dirt sprinters and the $300,000 Pennine Ridge for sophomores going 1 1/16 miles on grass.

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