The 2025 Saratoga Race Course summer meet wrapped up on Labor Day weekend. Throughout the meet, racing fans were treated to a bevy of exciting performances from lightly raced 2-year-olds with 2025 Breeders’ Cup and 2026 Triple Crown aspirations.

I’ve analyzed the results and ranked the top five juveniles of the meet:

5. Belgian

Dominant debut winner Belgian (Coglianese Photos)

How talented is Belgian? It’s too early to say for certain, but he gave the impression of being well above average when dominating his debut.

Facing three opponents in an off-the-turf maiden special weight race, Belgian relished the rain-soaked sloppy (sealed) surface, saving ground 1 1/2 lengths off the pace before seizing command and powering away to win by 11 lengths Aug. 14. He completed 5 1/2 furlongs (11/16ths of a mile) in 1:03.68.

Belgian is a colt by Beau Liam, a talented but lightly raced runner who finished second in the one-mile, Grade 3 Ack Ack Stakes. Belgian’s dam (mother) is the Smart Strike mare Watch Smartly, and take note, daughters of Smart Strike have produced Kentucky Derby winners Mine That Bird and Rich Strike. There’s a chance Belgian will improve with distance and maturity, making him an intriguing candidate for the 2026 Triple Crown.

4. Tommy Jo

Tommy Jo enjoyed a productive summer at Saratoga. The daughter of perennial leading sire Into Mischief went 2-for-2, emerging as one of the early favorites for the $2 million NetJets Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.

Tommy Jo debuted July 26 for trainer Todd Pletcher in a maiden special weight race sprinting three-quarters of a mile. After rating three lengths off the early pace, she swooped to the front and pulled away to win by 3 3/4 lengths in 1:11.24.

Five weeks later, Tommy Jo took a big step forward in the Grade 1 Spinaway Stakes racing seven-eighths of a mile. This time, she stayed within 1 1/2 lengths of quick quarter-mile fractions (:22.22 and :44.54) before powering clear to dominate by 6 1/2 lengths in 1:23.39.

A Spendthrift Farm homebred, Tommy Jo will surely seek to follow the example of Beholder, a Spendthrift runner who won the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. Grade 1-placed multiple stakes winner Mother Mother, by Pioneerof the Nile, is Tommy Jo’s dam (mother).

3. Deep Learning

Impressive maiden winner Deep Learning. (Coglianese Photos)

Trainer Chad Brown has won the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf a record six times. Five of his winners debuted during the summer at Saratoga. Could Deep Learning develop into Brown’s seventh Juvenile Fillies Turf winner? There is a good chance.

Deep Learning made her first start in a 1 1/16-mile turf maiden special weight race Aug. 8 at Saratoga, and she left no doubt about her superiority, unleashing a giant rally from sixth place to dominate by 3 1/4 lengths.

According to the Equibase GPS result chart, Deep Learning ran her final quarter-mile in a swift :23.13 to record a final time of 1:42.50 on firm turf. This daughter of Cairo Prince has a bright future, and she could possibly make her next start in the Grade 2 Miss Grillo Stakes on Oct. 4.

2. It’s Our Time

No Saratoga maiden winner was more impressive this summer than It’s Our Time. The son of 2016 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile runner-up and successful sire Not This Time dazzled when debuting in a maiden special weight race sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs (13/16ths of a mile) Aug. 16.

It’s Our Time settled in second place through an opening quarter-mile in :21.99. He advanced to challenge the leader through a swift half-mile in :44.78, then blazed his final five-sixteenths of a mile in a quick :30.85 to crush his rivals by 17 3/4 lengths in 1:15.63.

Purchased for $425,000 as a yearling, It’s Our Time looks like a stakes star in the making for trainer Tom Amoss. The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile is a logical autumn target, and next year, the Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown beckon.

1. Ted Noffey

In addition to Tommy Jo, Spendthrift Farm and Todd Pletcher campaign Ted Noffey, the most exciting 2-year-old of the meet after going 2-for-2 and winning Saratoga’s biggest juvenile prize.

Ted Noffey wasn’t particularly flashy in his debut dashing 6 1/2 furlongs at Saratoga Aug. 2, closing from fourth to win a maiden special weight race by 1 1/2 lengths in the modest time of 1:17.56.

But Ted Noffey elevated his game to another level in the Grade 1 Spendthrift Farm Hopeful Stakes on Labor Day. Showing improved early speed, Ted Noffey raced in second through quarter-mile splits of :23.16 and :46.30 before powering clear to smash a promising field by 8 1/2 lengths.

The best part of Ted Noffey’s performance was his fast finish. He rocketed his third quarter-mile in :23.88 and his final furlong in :12.17 to complete seven-eighths of a mile in 1:22.35. Longer distances should be within reach for Ted Noffey, stamping the son of Into Mischief as an exciting 2026 Triple Crown prospect.