The group of jockeys assembled to ride in this year’s Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets is a mix of accomplished veterans (nine Belmont wins among them) and rising talent (two riders will be making their Belmont debuts). Most of the time, the Belmont Stakes presents a very unique challenge to inexperienced riders as it’s traditionally been held at 1 ½ miles on Belmont Park’s sweeping “Big Sandy” dirt track featuring turns so wide it looks like horses and riders are orbiting a moon.

But for the second year in a row, the Belmont Stakes will be shortened to 1 ¼ miles and held at Saratoga Race Course due to ongoing reconstruction at the host track. Saratoga has one of the highest rated dirt tracks in North America and it generally plays fair (similar to Churchill Downs in that regard). Still, having experience at the Spa should count for something, and five of the eight jockeys assigned mounts in the Belmont annually spend their summers competing for the Saratoga riding title. Let’s meet them.

Coady Media

Junior Alvarado

Age: 39

Originally from: Venezuela

Previous rides in the Belmont Stakes: 3

Best finish: 6^th in 2012 (Unstoppable U)

2025 Belmont horse: Sovereignty

Junior Alvarado’s career continues to maintain peak level in 2025. The Venezuela native, whose father was a jockey, has been among the top riders in New York for more than a decade, but he broke through to national recognition in 2022 and 2023 as the regular jockey for fan favorite and two-time Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Cody’s Wish, who was trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott. There’s been no letting up since, and Alvarado secured his first win in a Triple Crown race five weeks ago – the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve – aboard another Mott-trained runner, Sovereignty. That colt skipped the Preakness Stakes and should be well rested and ready to excel in Saturday’s Belmont.

Eclipse Sportswire

Irad Ortiz Jr.

Age: 32

Originally from: Puerto Rico

Previous rides in the Belmont Stakes: 11

Best finish: 1^st in 2016 (Creator) and 2022 (Mo Donegal)

2025 Belmont horse: Hill Road

Success at Saratoga has helped Irad Ortiz become arguably the best jockey currently riding in North America. The five-time Eclipse Award winner has finished six of Saratoga’s summer meets as the leading jockey in victories, including the past three meets in a row. He’s already tallied two wins in the Belmont Stakes held downstate at the traditional host track and finished second in last year’s Belmont at Saratoga aboard Mindframe. Ortiz will get aboard late-running Hill Road for the first time in this year’s race. That colt began his career racing on turf in Europe but has adjusted very well to competing on dirt since coming to the U.S. last fall and enters the Belmont off a win in the Peter Pan Stakes last month.

Dubai Racing Club/Liesl King

Saffie Osborne

Age: 23

Originally from: Great Britain

Previous rides in the Belmont Stakes: none

Best finish: n/a

2025 Belmont horse: Heart of Honor

This will certainly be a year to remember for young jockey Saffie Osborne. She made her first start in the U.S. in a Triple Crown race three weeks ago when Heart of Honor ran in the Preakness Stakes, and the longshot British-bred colt overcame a bad start to finish a respectable fifth. Now, Osborne will make her second start on these shores in another Triple Crown race. She grew up in the sport as the daughter of former jockey-turned-trainer Jamie Osborne (who trains Heart of Honor) and equine and nature artist Katie Osborne, and started her riding career in eventing before becoming a professional jockey.

Eclipse Sportswire

Flavien Prat

Age: 32

Originally from: France

Previous rides in the Belmont Stakes: 4

Best finish: 2^nd in 2021 (Hot Rod Charlie)

2025 Belmont horse: Baeza

Flavien Prat has become one of the leading Triple Crown jockeys over the past eight years. He’s earned wins in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (by disqualification) and the Preakness Stakes and in his first four appearances in the Belmont, his horses have finished second, third, and fourth twice. Prat earned his first Eclipse Award as outstanding jockey for a record-setting 2024 campaign, and he’ll be in the running again this year. He’s also riding a solid Belmont win contender in Kentucky Derby third-place finisher Baeza, a colt with considerable upside who could be on the cusp of a peak performance.

Eclipse Sportswire

Umberto Rispoli

Age: 36

Originally from: Italy

Previous rides in the Belmont Stakes: none

Best finish: n/a

2025 Belmont horse: Journalism

California-based jockey Umberto Rispoli will look to build on an already standout Triple Crown season after finishing second in the Kentucky Derby and first in the Preakness aboard Journalism. That top-class colt has already been proclaimed by Rispoli as the best dirt racehorse he’s ever ridden, and Journalism’s talent will be put to the test as he wheels back in three weeks to run in the Belmont against a field of horses that, save Heart of Honor and Crudo, have had more time to rest and prepare. Rispoli has never competed at Saratoga before, but he has been aboard Journalism for the colt’s workouts at the track and has also been assigned on several mounts at this week’s racing festival leading up to the Belmont Stakes to gain experience.

Coady Media

Luis Saez

Age: 33

Originally from: Panama

Previous rides in the Belmont Stakes: 7

Best finish: 1^st in 2021 (Essential Quality) and 2024 (Dornoch)

2025 Belmont horse: Uncaged

In the first-ever Belmont Stakes at Saratoga last summer, Luis Saez gave 17.70-1 longshot Dornoch an A+ ride and was rewarded with his second Belmont victory. Saez, who led the 2021 Saratoga meet in wins, divides his time between Florida, Kentucky, and New York and is arguably in career-best form this year as he currently ranks among the top five North America-based jockeys in both wins and purse earnings. He’ll ride longshot Uncaged for the first time in the Belmont in hopes of scoring a second consecutive upset at the Spa.

Eclipse Sportswire

Mike Smith

Age: 59

Originally from: Dexter, N.M.

Previous rides in the Belmont Stakes: 21

Best finish: 1^st in 2010 (Drosselmeyer), 2013 (Palace Malice), and 2018 (Justify)

2025 Belmont horse: Rodriguez

While Mike Smith is not a current member of the Saratoga jockey colony, the Hall of Famer rode regularly in New York early in his career and takes a back seat to no one as a big-race rider. In fact, Smith was aboard the Bob Baffert-trained colt that holds the track-record time racing a mile and a quarter at Saratoga – Arrogate in the 2016 Travers Stakes. Arrogate won the Travers by leading from start to finish in one of the 21^st century’s true tour de force performances, and Smith will be aboard another Baffert trainee who prefers to race on the early lead Saturday in Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by Resorts World Casino winner Rodriguez. 

Eclipse Sportswire

John Velazquez

Age: 54

Originally from: Puerto Rico

Previous rides in the Belmont Stakes: 27

Best finish: 1^st in 2007 (Rags to Riches) and 2012 (Union Rags)

2025 Belmont horse: Crudo

Hall of Famer John Velazquez made his first Belmont Stakes appearance in 1995. He’s been a near-regular presence in New York’s biggest race since then and has only missed the Belmont once since 2003. “Johnny V” won his first of two Belmont Stakes on a Todd Pletcher trainee, the star filly Rags to Riches back in 2007. He has had a long and productive association with Pletcher and is assigned to that fellow Hall of Famer’s colt Crudo in this year’s Belmont. Velazquez has been aboard for each of Crudo’s three previous starts, including a win in the Spendthrift Farm Sir Barton Stakes three weeks ago on the Preakness Stakes undercard.