A group of jockeys gathered to ride this year Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA BETS It is a combination of skilled veterans (9 Belmont victories between them) and rising talent (two riders make their Belmont debuts). Most often, Belmont Stakes are held at 1½ miles on the dirt track at Belmont Park’s “Big Sandy” sweep, which presents a very unique challenge for inexperienced riders.
However, for the second year in a row, Belmont’s stakes have been reduced to 1¼ mile, and will be held at the Saratoga race course for continued reconstruction on the host track. Saratoga has one of the most rated dirt tracks in North America, but generally plays fair (similar to Churchill Downs in that respect). Still, we need to count what having experience at the spa is, with five of the eight jockeys allocating Belmont mounts annually spending the summer competing for Saratoga Riding titles. Meet them.
Junior Alvarado
year: 39
originally: Venezuela
Previous rides at the Belmont Stakes: 3
Best finish: 6th 2012 (Unstoppable u)
2025 Belmont Horse: sovereignty
Junior Alvarado’s career continues to maintain peak levels in 2025. The Venezuelan native whose father was a jockey, has been one of New York’s top riders for over a decade, but was recognized nationwide as a regular jockey for fan favorites and two-time breeder favorites in 2022 and 2023. No maintenance has been done since then, and Alvarado secured his first victory in the Triple Crown Race five weeks ago (the Kentucky Derby introduced by Woodford Reserve). That colt should be skipped through the Preakness Stakes and be well rested and ready at Belmont on Saturday.
IRAD ORTIZ JR.
year: 32
originally: Puerto Rico
Previous rides at the Belmont Stakes: 11
Best finish: 1st 2016 (Creator) and 2022 (Mo Donegal)
2025 Belmont Horse: Hill Road
His success in Saratoga helped Irado Ortiz become perhaps the best jockey he currently rides in North America. The five-time Eclipse Award winners have finished the Saratoga Summer Championship six times as a victory tournament for the past three times in a row. He has already won two wins in the Belmont Stakes, which are held below on the traditional host track, and placed second in last year’s Belmont in Saratoga in Mindframe. Ortiz will be riding a slow running hill road for the first time in this year’s race. The colt began career racing on European grass, but has been very suitable for competing against dirt since coming to the US last fall, beating Belmont last month in the Peter Pan Stakes.
Saffie Osborne
year: twenty three
originally: England
Previous rides at the Belmont Stakes: none
Best finish: n/a
2025 Belmont Horse: Heart of Honor
This will certainly be a year to remember young jockey Saffy Osborne. She first started in the US in the Triple Crown Race three weeks ago. When Heart of Honor ran in the Preakness Stakes, and the long shot British Colt overcame a bad start to finish a respectable fifth place. Now Osborne makes her second start on these shores Another Triple crown lace. She grew up in the sport as the daughter of former jockey-turned trainer Jamie Osborne (training Heart of Honor) and nature artist Katie Osborne, and began her riding career at events before becoming a professional jockey.
Flavien Plat
year: 32
originally: France
Previous rides at the Belmont Stakes: 4
Best finish: 2nd 2021 (Hot Rod Charlie)
2025 Belmont Horse: Baeza
Flavieen Prat has become one of the leading jockeys of the Triple Crown over the past eight years. He won the Kentucky Derby announced by the Woodford Reserve (due to disqualification) and Preakness Stakes, finishing his second, third and fourth in his first four appearances at Belmont. Prat won his first Eclipse Award as an outstanding jockey for his record 2024 campaign. He will be running again this year. He also rides a solid Belmont candidate at Baeza, the third place finisher of the Kentucky Derby.
Humberto Rispoli
year: 36
originally: Italy
Previous rides at the Belmont Stakes: none
Best finish: n/a
2025 Belmont Horse: Journalism
California-based jockey Umberto Rispoli is already aiming to build a standout triple crown season after finishing second in the Kentucky Derby and number one in journalism. That top-class colt has already been declared by Rispoli as the best dirt racehorse he’s ever ridden, and his journalistic talent is being tested as he took the wheels back three weeks later to run against the field of horses that save the Kurds in Belmont and had more time. Rispoli has never competed in Saratoga before, but he has been riding journalism for Colt’s training on the track and was also assigned to several mounts leading up to the Belmont stakes at this week’s race festival.
Lewis Thirds
year: 33
originally: Panama
Previous rides at the Belmont Stakes: 7
Best finish: 1st 2021 (Required Quality) and 2024 (Dornoch)
2025 Belmont Horse: Not recorded
In Saratoga’s first Belmont Stakes last summer, the Lewis Thirds gave the A+ ride to Longshot Dornock, 17.70-1, rewarding his second Belmont victory. Saez, who led the 2021 Saratoga competition, splits time between Florida, Kentucky and New York, and this year is undoubtedly the best in his career, and he now ranks the North American-based jockey in both victory and wallet revenue. He’s been riding a long shot for the first time at Belmont, hoping to get two consecutive upsets at the spa.
Mike Smith
year: 59
originally: Dexter, NM
Previous rides at the Belmont Stakes: twenty one
Best finish: 1st 2010 (Drosselmeyer), 2013 (Palace Malice), and 2018 (Justify)
2025 Belmont Horse: Rodriguez
Mike Smith is not a current member of the Saratoga Jockey Colony, but the Hall of Fame rides regularly in New York early in his career, taking the back seat to anyone as a big race rider. In fact, Smith was on a Bob Baffert-trained Colt, so he holds track record time, racing a mile and a quarter in Saratoga at Aragort at the 2016 Travers Stakes. arrogate beat Travers by leading from start to finish with one of the 21sst Performances and Smith from Century’s True Tour De Force are on another Buffalo trainee who prefers to race in Saturday’s early lead at the Wood Memorial Stakes announced by Resort World Casino winner Rodriguez.
John Velazquez
year: 54
originally: Puerto Rico
Previous rides at the Belmont Stakes: 27
Best finish: 1st 2007 (Rags to Riches) and 2012 (Union Rags)
2025 Belmont Horse: raw
Hall of Fame John Velazquez first appeared in the Belmont Stakes in 1995. He has since been around regularly in New York’s biggest races, missing out on the Belmont V once since 2003. Colt Kurd of Belmont this year. Velazquez has participated in each of Crudo’s three previous starts, including a victory at Spendthrift Farm’s Sir Barton Stakes at Preakness Stakes Undercard three weeks ago.
