While the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets is the headliner of the Saturday, June 7 card at Saratoga Race Course, the Hill ‘N’ Dale Metropolitan Handicap commands plenty of attention by itself as a $1 million secondary feature race on Belmont Stakes day. Rivaling this year’s Belmont Stakes showdown between Sovereignty and Journalism is the equally intriguing heavyweight match-up between Fierceness and White Abarrio a few races earlier in the Metropolitan Handicap.

Commonly referred to as the Met Mile, the race has been contested for more than a century since first run at Morris Park in 1891. The location was later moved to Belmont Park and the date of the race was moved to the Belmont Stakes undercard in 2014. The Met Mile is part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” Series, but even those credentials usually underestimate the importance of this race in the older male division. The last three Met Mile winners – Flightline in 2022, Cody’s Wish in 2023, and National Treasure in 2024 – went on to win Eclipse Awards as champion older dirt male with Flightline and Cody’s Wish both also being voted Horse of the Year.

1. Fierceness (even-money morning-line odds): He comes into the race with an impressive resume with wins in races such as the 2023 FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile presented by TAA, the 2024 Curlin Florida Derby, Saratoga’s 2024 Jim Dandy Stakes Presented by Mohegan Sun, and the 2024 DraftKings Travers Stakes, which raised his career record at the Spa to a perfect 3-for-3. He was plagued by inconsistency earlier in his career but seems to have left those days in the rearview mirror as he has now reeled off four straight excellent efforts that include a runner-up finish in the 2024 Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic and a win last time in his 4-year-old debut n Churchill’s Grade 2 Alysheba Stakes Presented by Sentient Jet. Boasts Hall of Fame connections and is the horse to beat.

JOCKEY: John Velazquez; TRAINER: Todd Pletcher

2. White Abarrio (9-5): The 2023 Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic winner has amassed a long list of stakes-winning accomplishments in his career, including winning the Grade 1 Whitney Stakes in 2023 at Saratoga when under the care of a different trainer. He comes into this race in sharp form that perhaps rivals his lifetime best with a big win in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes and a win last time in his Met Mile prep race in Gulfstream’s Grade 3 Ghostzapper Stakes Presented by FanDuel TV to his credit so far this year as a 6-year-old. He must exorcise the ghosts of the last two runnings of the Metropolitan Handicap after finishing third in this race at Belmont Park in 2023 and fifth here at Saratoga in 2024.

JOCKEY: Irad Ortiz Jr.; TRAINER: Saffie Joseph Jr.

3. Castle Chaos (20-1): He was cross-entered in a Saratoga allowance race on Thursday and was not even the morning-line favorite in that race at 6-1 odds, just to underscore how much he will be overmatched in this spot against divisional leaders the likes of Fierceness and White Abarrio. Comes into the race off a fifth-place finish in the $196,000 Knicks Go Stakes at Churchill Downs and has a career 0-for-5 record at Saratoga against lesser competition.

JOCKEY: Flavien Prat; TRAINER: Robert Falcone Jr.

4. Just a Touch (4-1): He was good in a bridesmaid’s role as a 3-year-old in 2024 with second-place finishes in the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes, the Grade 1 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes, and the $250,000 Iowa Derby. His races this year as a 4-year-old have been even better but so far have come against lesser competition with big wins in a Fair Grounds allowance race followed by a Keeneland allowance-optional claiming race. Does that mean he is ready to tackle the likes of Fierceness and White Abarrio? It’s questionable, but his recent speed figures do suggest he’s approaching the stratosphere necessary to offer a competitive effort.

JOCKEY: Florent Geroux; TRAINER: Brad Cox

Raging Torrent winning Malibu. (Eclipse Sportswire)

5. Raging Torrent (5-1): If you are searching for the best option to try to beat the favorites, this 4-year-old colt is it. Raging Torrent has been in dynamite form for more than the last calendar year with five wins in his last six races since last May, with the lone defeat coming in last fall’s six-furlong Cygames Breeders’ Cup Sprint. Last year, he won Del Mar’s Grade 2 Pat O’Brien Stakes and Santa Anita’s Grade 1 Malibu Stakes and he comes into the Met Mile off of an impressive win to start his 2025 campaign in the $1 million Godolphin Mile Sponsored By EMAAR. He’s an interesting Met Mile contender because while the other principals will all be cutting back to one mile from their optimal longer distances, this horse will be stretching out from his wheelhouse distance of seven furlongs. His early speed and the distance of this race will very likely put him on the lead, and he’ll be dangerous from there. He’s unlucky that the Met Mile is currently being contested at two urns at Saratoga instead of its traditional one-turn layout at Belmont Park, which would have given him an even better chance.

JOCKEY: Frankie Dettori; TRAINER: Doug O’Neill

THE PICK: Fierceness

LIVE LONGSHOT: Raging Torrent

TRIFECTA: 1-2-5