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1935 Triple Crown Winner Omaha: The Belair Bullet
2025 Belmont Stakes Cheat Sheet
Racing
Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty (left) and Preakness Stakes winner Journalism are expected to start in the 157th Belmont Stakes held at Saratoga Race Course June 7. (Eclipse Sportswire)
The culmination of horse racing’s Triple Crown will have a unique feel once again in 2025, as the 157th Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets is set to run at Saratoga Race Course on June 7. The $2 million, Grade 1 race moved to the iconic upstate New York track last year while Belmont Park started a reconstruction and modernization project, and that project continues this year and also into 2026. That means that the Belmont Stakes, traditionally held at 1 ½ miles on Belmont Park’s sweeping “Big Sandy” dirt track, will for the second year in a row be shortened to 1 ¼ miles and held on Saratoga’s main dirt track.
No matter the distance, the Belmont Stakes is still one of the sport’s crown-jewel events, and even though a Triple Crown bid is not on the line this year, the race has some serious star appeal. The top three finishers in this year’s Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve – Sovereignty, Journalism, and Baeza – are scheduled to start in the Belmont Stakes, with Journalism coming in off of a courageous victory in the Preakness Stakes. He’ll square off against Sovereignty and Baeza who have the advantage of an extra two weeks of rest, and the prospective field also includes highly-rated Rodriguez, who won the Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by Resorts World Casino but missed the Kentucky Derby and Preakness due to a minor injury.
The Belmont Stakes is the main event in a five-day racing festival from June 4-8, and Saratoga Springs, arguably the quintessential American horse racing town, will come alive all week as thousands of fans arrive and celebrate the sport of kings. The Belmont Stakes will be televised nationally on FOX with a second broadcast on FS1, and coverage of all the action at Saratoga will air on FOX Sports channels throughout the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.
Read on for information about the Belmont Stakes contenders, and check back on the evening of June 2 for an updated Cheat Sheet with contenders listed in post-position order and with morning-line odds added.
Ernie Belmonte/Santa Anita Park
Jockey: Flavien Prat
Trainer: John Shirreffs
Owners: C R K Stable and Grandview Equine
Career record: 5 starts – 1 win – 2 seconds – 1 third
Career earnings: $648,500
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 107
Pedigree: McKinzie – Puca, by Big Brown
Color: Bay
Running style: Stalker
Analysis: A potential rematch between Sovereignty and Journalism will deservedly receive the most Belmont Stakes headline coverage, but Baeza should not be overlooked. This fast-rising colt ran very well in the 1 ¼-mile Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve, overcoming some bumping in the far turn and then racing wide in the stretch but still churning on over a sloppy racing surface and coming up a neck short of catching a tiring Journalism for second. Baeza was on the also-eligible list for the Kentucky Derby but drew in after some main-field scratches, and he validated trainer John Shirreffs’ decision to ship him away from his Southern California base to Louisville even though a starting spot was not guaranteed. Baeza returned to Santa Anita Park after the Derby and has trained well for a planned Belmont start, and he could be sitting on a breakthrough effort in his third attempt in a Grade 1 race (he finished a close second to Journalism in the 1 1/8-mile Santa Anita Derby before starting in the Kentucky Derby). Flavien Prat rode Baeza for the first time in Louisville and retains the mount, and he should have him in a prime stalking spot and ready to pounce when the field turns for home at Saratoga. If Baeza wins, he’ll become the second consecutive Belmont Stakes victor produced by the Big Brown mare Puca following Dornoch last year at Saratoga – and the third winner of a Triple Crown race in three years out of Puca, following Dornoch and 2023 Kentucky Derby winner Mage.
Jeffrey Snyder/Maryland Jockey Club
Crudo
Jockey: TBA
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Owners: Bobby Flay and James Ventura
Career record: 3 starts – 2 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds
Career earnings: $130,148
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 100
Pedigree: Justify – Blossomed, by Deputy Minister
Color: Bay
Running style: Pacesetter
Analysis: Crudo enters the Belmont Stakes with only three career starts, all coming since Feb. 8 of this year. He’s improved in each of them, finishing fourth in his six-furlong debut at Gulfstream Park then improving greatly in his second appearance in a race held at just over seven furlongs at Keeneland, which he won by a widening 7 ¼ lengths. In start number three, the son of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify stretched out to compete around two turns in the 1 1/16-mile Sir Barton Stakes on the May 17 Preakness Stakes undercard at Pimlico, and he overcame early pace pressure to impressively draw clear and win by 7 ½ lengths. Crudo still has untapped potential and he’ll need to continue improving to have a shot at finishing in the top three against this small but high-quality field that includes stablemate Grande. At the very least, his front-running style should provide pace pressure to Rodriguez, who’ll be coming in off of a layoff of more than two months and after recovering from a minor injury.
Coady Media
Jockey: John Velazquez
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Owner: Repole Stable
Career record: 3 starts – 2 wins – 1 second – 0 thirds
Career earnings: $228,200
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 106
Pedigree: Curlin – Journey Home, by War Front
Color: Dark bay or brown
Running style: Stalker
Analysis: Grande qualified for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve by finishing a solid second to Rodriguez in the 1 1/8-mile Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by Resorts World Casino in March, but was scratched from the Derby field one day prior to the race due to a cracked heel. He was shaping up as a live longshot in the Derby based on his Wood Memorial effort, which came after two consecutive wins at Gulfstream Park earlier in the year at one mile and 1 1/8 miles. Grande’s Equibase Speed Figure jumped 17 points to a 106 in the Wood Memorial and, as he’s only scheduled to make his fourth career start in the Belmont Stakes, another jump of around 5-10 points is not out of the question. This is a tough spot to come back in after a missed race, however, and Grande will indeed need to move forward in a big way to post an upset over Sovereignty, Journalism, and Baeza. Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, a two-time Belmont Stakes winner, should have his mount in a stalking position behind Rodriguez and stablemate Crudo, possibly racing in third on the backstretch. Fellow Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher has won this race four times, most recently in 2022 with Mo Donegal, who was co-owned by Repole Stable. It would be a sweet victory indeed if Pletcher and Mike Repole could nab a second Belmont Stakes win together after Grande’s missed opportunity in the Kentucky Derby.
Jerry Dzierwinski/Maryland Jockey Club
Jockey: Saffie Osborne
Trainer: Jamie Osborne
Owners: Jim And Claire Ltd.
Career record: 7 starts – 2 wins – 4 seconds – 0 thirds
Career earnings: $400,919
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 97
Pedigree: Honor A. P. – Ruby Love, by Scat Daddy
Color: Dark bay or brown
Running style: Closer
Analysis: Heart of Honor shipped from the United Arab Emirates for a start in the 1 3/16-mile Preakness Stakes at Pimlico and outran his 19.70-1 odds to finish fifth of nine runners. It was a good effort considering that he was fractious in the starting gate and broke slowly, trailed by 15 ½ lengths after three-quarters of a mile, and then raced very wide in the stretch while making up some late ground to finish 8 ¾ lengths behind winner Journalism. Obviously, a much better effort will be required for this English-bred Honor A. P. colt to be a factor in the Belmont. It’s worth noting, though, that Heart of Honor had not finished worse than second in six prior starts, and that includes two runner-up finishes by a head and a nose in U.A.E. stakes races held at 1 1/8 miles. He will be running late for the trainer-jockey, father-daughter team of Jamie and Saffie Osborne and has a chance to capture a minor award in this major race if he reaches a new career peak, although that would also require several U.S.-based horses with better speed figures to underperform.
Eclipse Sportswire
Jockey: TBA
Trainer: Chad Brown
Owner: Amo Racing USA
Career record: 5 starts – 2 wins – 0 seconds – 2 thirds
Career earnings: $336,496
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 99
Pedigree: Quality Road – Exotic Notion, by Lemon Drop Kid
Color: Bay
Running style: Closer
Analysis: Hill Road turned heads in his first start in the U.S. last fall, when he rallied late in the stretch to finish third in the 1 1/16-mile FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Presented by TAA at Del Mar as a 61.10-1 longshot. The Quality Road colt had won one of two starts in Ireland before that racing on turf. After his encouraging finish in against some of the best dirt 2-year-olds in North America, he was transferred to Chad Brown and joined the road to the 2025 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve earlier this year. Hill Road debuted in the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby held at 1 1/16 miles back in March, and once again closed late to finish third behind eventual Kentucky Derby fifth-place finisher Owen Almighty. He ended up short of qualifying points for the Derby itself and instead was redirected toward a start in the Belmont Stakes by Brown. In his prep for the Belmont, Hill Road put forth his best effort yet, storming through the stretch to take the 1 1/8-mile Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont at the Big A by three-quarters of a length. This colt is bred to run all day and could be reaching peak form at just the right time to make some noise in the Belmont Stakes. However, he’ll need a fast pace to close into and also underachieving efforts collectively by Sovereignty, Journalism, and Baeza in order to pull the upset — an unlikely scenario to say the least.
Eclipse Sportswire
Jockey: Umberto Rispoli
Trainer: Michael McCarthy
Career record: 7 starts – 5 wins – 1 second – 1 third
Career earnings: $2,838,800
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 110
Pedigree: Curlin – Mopotism, by Uncle Mo
Color: Bay
Running style: Stalker
Analysis: As of this writing, Journalism is not confirmed for the Belmont Stakes; however, his connections have said that as long as he continues to train well coming out of the Preakness Stakes, he is a probable starter. If he does show up on three weeks’ rest, it will be a testament both to this colt’s elite talent and his connections’ willingness to challenge him on the sport’s biggest stages in 2025. A runner-up finish to Sovereignty by 1 ½ lengths in the 1 ¼-mile Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve is Journalism’s only blemish at age 3 – he’s won three other stakes races so far topped by an eventful and exciting half-length victory in the 1 3/16-mile Preakness. In that race, Journalism forced his way into a small opening between horses in early stretch, pinballed between them, and then shot through the gap, accelerated, and surged past Gosger right before the finish line. Now, Journalism is set to face his Derby conqueror and also Derby third-place finisher Baeza (who was only a neck behind him) in the 1 ¼-mile Belmont and he’ll be spotting both of those standouts an extra two weeks of rest. Based on the training patterns of Triple Crown horses in recent years, such a quick turnaround would make one regard the Preakness winner as being vulnerable going up against two well-rested and high-class foes. This year’s Preakness winner is an exceptional racehorse, though, and if he shows no signs of fatigue and is able to maintain his current form Journalism will be very tough to beat in the Belmont.
Angelo Lieto/NYRA
Jockey: Mike Smith
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Career record: 5 starts – 2 wins – 2 seconds – 1 third
Career earnings: $522,800
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 111
Pedigree: Authentic – Cayala, by Cherokee Run
Color: Dark bay or brown
Running style: Pacesetter
Analysis: After decent but unspectacular efforts in his first two Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve prep races in California, Rodriguez put it all together in the 1 1/8-mile Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by Resorts World Casino at Aqueduct in early April, leading from start to finish in a 3 ½-length score. That result elevated him to the top spot in Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert’s roster of 2025 Kentucky Derby prospects, and the McKinzie colt was shaping up as a live longshot in the Derby until he was unfortunately withdrawn from the race due to a foot bruise. Rodriguez has since resumed a normal training schedule for three-time Belmont-winning trainer Baffert in California and should be ready to build on that Wood Memorial effort after being away for more than two months. He was projected to be among the early leaders in the Kentucky Derby, and his speed could be even more advantageous in the Belmont Stakes as lightly-raced Crudo is the only other contender with a forwardly placed running style. Rodriguez will probably go off as the fourth post-time betting choice behind Derby 1-2-3 finishers Sovereignty, Journalism, and Baeza, but he could lead this field a long way June 7 under Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith (a three-time Belmont winner) and must be respected.
Skip Dickstein/BloodHorse
Jockey: Junior Alvarado
Trainer: Bill Mott
Owner: Godolphin
Career record: 6 starts – 3 wins – 2 seconds – 0 thirds
Career earnings: $3,672,800
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 103
Pedigree: Into Mischief – Crowned, by Bernardini
Color: Bay
Running style: Closer
Analysis: Horse racing fans were understandably disappointed when the connections of Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve winner Sovereignty announced that they would bypass a start in the Preakness Stakes and a bid to become the 14th Triple Crown winner and instead point to a start in the Belmont Stakes. But if there’s one admirable quality Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott is known for above all others – and he has many others – it is putting the horse’s interests first. Mott stated that he’d already planned Sovereignty’s early 3-year-old campaign around winning the Derby as the ultimate goal, and that was achieved in impressive fashion as the colt stormed from 16th of 19 horses to outfinish Journalism and prevail by 1 ½ lengths. Since then, Sovereignty has shipped to Saratoga and worked steadily for the June 7 Belmont Stakes, and he should be well-rested and ready to repeat (or even improve on) his Kentucky Derby effort. He should vie with Journalism for post-time favoritism, and in addition to his extra time off he has a small advantage of having raced on Saratoga’s dirt main track before, although that came in his career debut last summer when he made up a lot of ground late to finish fourth in a six-furlong sprint. In the Belmont, look for regular rider Junior Alvarado to keep Sovereignty a bit closer to the early pace than he did in the Kentucky Derby as he faces a smaller field that has a dangerous front-runner in Rodriguez. All systems are set on “go” for this elite racehorse to give Alvarado his first Belmont victory, and owner-breeder Godolphin and trainer Mott each their second.
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