Belmont Draws Eight; Journalism, Sovereignty to Renew Rivalry

[Wandering Eyes]

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.–The event that horse racing has been waiting for is here.

Sovereignty (Into Mischief) and Journalism (Curlin), the top two finishers in the GI Kentucky Derby, will get their rematch in Saturday's $2-million GI Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course.

The two heavyweights of the 3-year-old division are the headliners of the 157th running of the Belmont, which will be run for the second straight year at Saratoga while Belmont Park continues its major renovation downstate.

A field of eight was entered at Monday's draw, which was held downtown at Universal Preservation Hall. The race, which has a scheduled post time of 7:04 p.m., will be run at 1 1/4 miles.

Normally, the Belmont distance is 1 1/2 miles but the track configuration of the track at Saratoga.

Journalism, despite losing the Derby by 1 1/2 lengths to Sovereignty, was installed as the 8-5 morning-line favorite in the Belmont by New York Racing Association odds maker David Aragona. Sovereignty is the second choice on the morning line at 2-1.

Journalism will be the only horse that competes in all three legs of this year's Triple Crown.

Following the Derby, he returned to win the GI Preakness Stakes with a remarkable, improbable finish. After encountering trouble in the stretch, Journalism and jockey Umberto Rispoli squeezed through a narrow hole and ran down the upset-minded Gosger (Nyquist).

Journalism will be making his third start in five weeks; Sovereignty has been resting since the Derby.

“This is a great race, one that is heavy on talent,” Journalism's trainer Michael McCarthy said. “Only eight horses but three or four that are going to be very, very good. Come years end, I would not be surprised if one of these horses won the Breeders' Cup Classic.”

Journalism is owned by Aron Wellman's Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Bridlewood Farm, Don Alberto Stable, Robert LaPenta, Elayne Stables 5 LLC, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith. Journalism was assigned post position seven and will again be ridden by Rispoli.

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, after huddling with Sovereignty's owner, Godolphin LLC, decided to skip the Preakness and a chance at a Triple Crown. Sovereignty, who will be ridden by Junior Alvarado for the fifth time in six, drew post position two.

Sovereignty has won three of his six starts and has a pair of seconds. The only time he finished off the board was in his first career start, last Aug. 24 at Saratoga when he was fourth.

“Every race he has run, he has shown up,” Mott said. “I think everyone would be looking forward to (the Belmont). These are two very good horses.”

Although the focus is clearly on the top two, it is not a two-horse race.

 Baeza (McKinzie) was only a neck behind Journalism in the Kentucky Derby, and he also hasn't raced since the first Saturday in May. Trained by John Shirreffs and owned by C R K Stable and Grandview Equine, Baeza made his graded stakes debut in the GI Santa Anita Derby where he was beaten three quarters of a length by Journalism.

The 4-1 third choice on the morning line, Baeza will be reunited with jockey Flavien Prat, who rode him for the first time in the Kentucky Derby and will start from post six.

“I hope we are right there,” Shirreffs said with a laugh when asked if he thought his horse should share top billing with the other two.

Shirreffs, like every trainer in the race, were not too concerned about post positions with an eight-horse field.

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert will be looking for his fourth Belmont victory when he saddles 'TDN Rising Star' Rodriguez (Authentic) on Saturday. Owned by SF Racing Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stable LLC, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert E. Masterson, Tom J. Ryan, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan, Rodriguez missed the Kentucky Derby and Preakness because of a foot issue.

Rodriguez (6-1 on the morning line) will start from post three. In his last start, he and Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith won the G2 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct buy 3 1/2 lengths going gate-to-wire. Smith has won the Belmont three times, the latest coming in 2018 with Triple Crown winner Justify (Scat Daddy).

“This is a nice field,” Baffert, who is flying East Tuesday, said from California. “The break is going to so important, and he has to run his race.”

Hill Road (Quality Road) will attempt to become the 10th winner of the GIII Peter Pan Stakes to claim the Belmont. The last horse to do it was Arcangelo (Arrogate), who won both races in 2023. Trained by Chad Brown and owned by Amo Racing USA, Hill Road finished third in the GIII Tampa Bay Derby on Mar. 8.

Hill Road came to Brown's barn after a third-place finish in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile in November. After Brown had to scratch Hill Road from the Wood Memorial because the horse came down with a fever and that forced him to miss the Kentucky Derby.

“He is a fresh horse, and he is looking for a mile and a quarter,” Brown said. “He seems to be in good position for the Belmont, but he is going to have to step it up.”

Hill Road (10-1) will be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. for the first time and will leave from the rail.

Early last week, Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said he would not have a horse in the Belmont. That changed on Sunday when Pletcher, a four-time Belmont winner, announced that he would enter Crudo (Justify) and Uncaged (Curlin).

Crudo (15-1) won the Sir Barton Stakes at Pimlico on Preakness Day in his last start and will start from post position five with Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez, a two-time Belmont winner, in the irons. Crudo is owned by Bobby Flay and James Ventura.

Owned by WinStar Farm LLC and Repole Stable, Uncaged (30-1) tries the Belmont after finishing sixth in the Peter Pan. Luis Saez will ride Uncaged for the first time, and they have post position four.

Following a fifth-place finish in the Preakness, Heart of Honor (GB) (Honor A.P.) will look to improve on that in the Belmont. Trained by England's Jamie Osborne and ridden by his 23-year-old daughter, Saffie.

The Preakness was the first race Heart of Honor, owned by Jim and Claire Limited, missed finishing either first or second in his prior six starts. Five of them were in Dubai. They drew post position eight and are 30-1 on the morning line.

 

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