The 2025 Belmont Stakes run presented by NYRA BETS was unforgettable. The race was a rubber match between Woodfordresve’s winner sovereignty and Preakness Stakes winner journalism announced on Saturday, June 7th, in front of a packed house on the Saratoga race course with the third gem of the Triple Crown. It was all sovereignty as the Derby winners expanded to a three-length victory with the second calm journalism and the third Baeza.
Read post-race quotes from trainers and jockeys who competed in the Belmont Stakes as they commented on the trip and how the horses carried.
Winner’s Sovereign Trainer Bill Mott: “This is home. It was the race we were pointing out after the Derby and fortunately it worked very well. I’m sure he’d received criticism if he had gotten a beat today.
“We feel we are defeating a good field of horses. Journalism is a really good horse. I saw him last week. He saw him.
Junior Alvarado, winner’s sovereign jockey: “He broke very well today as well (he); at that point, he had made him clear today as we were heading home, so there was no need to make up for too much ground.
“Journalism has run great races again. A horse that runs in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness and is coming back again today, and I gave him a lot of credibility for doing it and he showed up. He’s also a very tough horse.
“It was very similar to Derby. After having the opportunity to put him right behind journalism, I liked to fight to make sure he was targeting the home target, and that’s what I did.
Runner-up journalism trainer Michael McCarthy: “Look, whenever a good horse has space between races, they are very, very dangerous. He (sovereignty) is a very good horse and he is training here. He will be here for a while.
“He’s a great horse. He’s done something very few horses can do, three races in five weeks, a triple crown race, second, second, second. Nothing left him.
On the potential start of Grade 1, the $1.25 million DraftKings Travers on August 23: “It’s possible, yeah, you have to think about it.”
Runner-up journalism jockey Umbertolispoli: “The perfect trip. I was lucky to be outside today. I think he stumbled a bit from the gate, but I don’t think it was an excuse that affected anything. (Sovereignty) ran in five weeks, and that clearly says the horse is superior.
“I didn’t feel like I was running out of energy. I had momentum as I was turning and running for the house. I was waiting for everything, I had two targets in front of me up to a quarter pole. I pressed the button at the right moment and the sovereignty of today was the best.”
Flavieen Prat, jockey 3rd place Baeza: “When I was about to start, I couldn’t go anywhere. It took him a long time for him to go and then he ran, but that wasn’t enough. He got through this.
Mike Smith, Jockey No. 4 Rodriguez: “It’s a great trip, but they finished a very strong guy. It was a great race. Really good horses (sovereignty) and (journalism).”
