Belmont Stakes at Saratoga is a Kentucky Derby rematch
The sun rises over training horses at the Saratoga Race Track, before running of the Belmont Stakes horse race, in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., Thursday, June 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (AP) — The Triple Crown concludes Saturday with the 157th running of the Belmont Stakes.
The race is a rematch between Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty and runner-up Journalism, who is the favorite after winning the Preakness. Derby third-place finisher Baeza also is in the field of eight.
Sovereignty is racing for the first time since the first Saturday in May. Owners and trainer Bill Mott decided not to enter Sovereignty in the Preakness because of the short, two-week turnaround.
Journalism is the only horse running in all three legs of the Triple Crown this year. Bob Baffert-trained Rodriguez is in the Belmont after being scratched from the Derby because of a minor foot bruise that also kept the colt out of the Preakness.
The Belmont is taking place for a second consecutive time at historic Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York. The New York Racing Association temporarily relocated it there while Belmont Park on Long Island undergoes nearly half a billion dollars in renovations.
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AP horse racing: https://apnews.com/hub/horse-racing