Belmont Stakes Matches Top Three Kentucky Derby Finishers
The Belmont Stakes-G1 is back at Saratoga for the second year in a row, and it looks to be a highly competitive race. With Belmont Park still under construction, the race has shifted north and the distance has been trimmed to 1¼ miles, same as the Kentucky Derby-G1. The change has transformed the traditional "Test of the Champion" into a Travers-G1 preview.
This year's race includes a rematch of the top three finishers from the Kentucky Derby: Sovereignty, Journalism, and Baeza. Sovereignty, the Derby winner, skipped the Preakness-G1 to rest and is the second favorite on the morning line at 2-1.
Journalism, who finished second in the Derby and won the Preakness in thrilling fashion, is favored at 8-5, while Baeza, who was third in Louisville has been assigned 4-1 morning line odds.
The field also includes Hill Road, winner of the Peter Pan Stakes-G3, and Rodriguez, trained by Bob Baffert, at 6-1.
Longshots Uncaged and Heart of Honor round out the eight-horse lineup.
The race is set for Saturday, June 7, with a post time of 7:04 p.m. ET. It will be broadcast on FOX and streamed on FOXSports.com and the FOX Sports app.
Don’t miss the Belmont Stakes pres. by @NYRABets TONIGHT at 7:04pm on @FOXTV!
— Belmont Stakes (@BelmontStakes) June 7, 2025
Who will come out on top in the rematch between Sovereignty and Journalism? Will Crudo upset the field? Will Chad Brown win his first Belmont Stakes? Tune in tonight! pic.twitter.com/nLH9XVzhH6
Trainer Michael McCarthy expressed confidence in Journalism's condition and adaptability, pointing out that his charge is the only horse to compete in all three legs of this year's Triple Crown.
“Obviously, he put forth a heck of an effort in the Preakness, and he’s coming back here in three weeks’ time,” McCarthy told the Times Union, adding that the colt’s last — and only — workout since the Preakness was “solid,” with “little to no urging.”
Jockey Umberto Rispoli, who has been in the saddle for six of Journalism's seven career starts, was also impressed with his mount’s June 1 work, noting afterward that the son of Curlin “looks like he didn’t even run two weeks ago.”
John Shirreffs, who will saddle Baeza on Saturday, was also optimistic about his chances, telling the New York Post that jockey Flavien Prat said “he didn’t get all the run he could have out of Baeza had he had an opportunity to get out a little sooner.”
Meanwhile, the winner of the Kentucky Derby, Sovereignty, is looking to prove that his 1½-length victory wasn’t a fluke. As it is, his jockey, Junior Alvarado, faced controversy and was fined and suspended for alleged whip overuse during the Derby, a ruling he is currently appealing.
Here's a look at the field:
Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
1- Hill Road | Chad C. Brown | Irad Ortiz Jr. | 10-1 |
2-Sovereignty | William Mott | Junior Alvarado | 2-1 |
3-Rodriguez | Bob Baffert | Mike Smith | 6-1 |
4-Uncaged | Todd A. Pletcher | Luis Saez | 30-1 |
5-Crudo | Todd A. Pletcher | John R. Velazquez | 15-1 |
6-Baeza | John Shirreffs | Flavien Prat | 4-1 |
7-Journalism | Michael W. McCarthy | Umberto Rispoli | 8-5 |
8-Heart of Honor | Jaime Osborne | Saffie Osborne | 30-1 |
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Derek Simon has been a writer and gambler (not necessarily in that order) for over 30 years. His work has appeared in magazines and on websites like CBS Sports, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, TwinSpires, Forbes, Motley Fool, and in restrooms across the country. He resides in Florida with his wife, kids, and seven furry friends.