Racer Sovereignty Triumphs in Belmont Stakes, Outpacing Journalism Once More
John T. Agggron
When it comes to pumping up the popularity of a sport, two things usually help: dynasties and feuds. Since horse racing is primarily based on breeding, it doesn't exactly have dynasties. Yet, after the 157th running of the $2 million Belmont Stakes in 2025, it certainty has a rivalry, albeit for just a single year.
The victors of the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes squared off in an exciting rematch of the Kentucky Derby, with the same outcome - Sovereignty charging past Journalism in the deep stretch to secure his place in history as the 52nd winner of two legs of the Triple Crown.
Sovereignty's three-length win raises questions about what would have happened if Sovereignty had run in the second leg of the Triple Crown, the Preakness, and won. He would have been the 14th winner of the Triple Crown, but with an asterisk.
Both the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes were run at 11⁄4 miles, as Belmont Park was undergoing renovations, forcing the race to move to Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. The New York Racing Assn. opted to run the Belmont at 11⁄4 miles instead of the usual 11⁄2 miles to avoid starting the race on a turn.
But that technicality didn't dampen the spirits of Sovereign's trainer, Bill Mott, after the race.
"I think there are three really exceptional horses, and I'm glad he was able to return and put in a performance as impressive as he did in the Derby," Mott said. "If we hadn't won today, we would have taken a lot of flak, but it worked out. Sometimes you make the right call, and a lot of times you make the wrong one, but today it really paid off."
Mott, and the horse's owner Godolphin, decided that running in the Belmont was the better move. It allowed Journalism, who finished second in the Derby, to run and win the Preakness in a thrilling race, where he powered his way through horses at the top of the stretch and covered an astonishing amount of ground in the final furlong to win by half a length. And a rivalry was born.
Sovereignty was the first horse to intentionally skip the Preakness after winning the Derby and then come back and win the Belmont. It was the first time in the last 22 Triple Crown races that there was a repeat Triple Crown race winner, a streak going back to Justify in 2018. The Triple Crown is open to three-year-olds, meaning a horse only gets one year to compete in those races.
The race largely followed the script with Rodriguez taking the lead immediately, with Crudo close by as they headed into the first turn. But as the horses moved down the backstretch, Journalism began to engage with Sovereignty, with Rodriguez slowing towards the end. Sovereignty was moving to the outside of Journalism, and with 200 yards to go, he surged ahead and easily won.
The top three finishers were the same as the Derby, with Baeza finishing third and followed by Rodriguez, Hill Road, Heart of Honor, Uncaged, and Crudo. Journalism, Baeza, and Rodriguez are all currently based at Santa Anita.
Sovereignty paid $7.00 to win.
After the race, the winning jockey, Junior Alvarado, and Umberto Rispoli, who rode Journalism embraced atop their horses.
"It's about two extraordinary horses," Alvarado said. "[Journalism] ran amazing again for coming back after the Preakness. He fought very hard but didn't make it easy for my horse.
"It's simply unbelievable. There was a time in my career, I think about four or five years ago when I thought everything was fading away. And now here I am. It's absolutely miraculous."
It was Alvarado's first Belmont Stakes win. It was also his first Kentucky Derby win, although he was fined $62,000 and suspended two days for using his riding crop eight times on Sovereignty, two over the allowable number.
The race was run on a track labeled either "fast" or "good" after rain poured down the track all morning. It even led to the postponement until Sunday of two Grade 1 turf races for safety reasons. The track and Equibase, the official statistician of racing, do not always agree on the quality of track surfaces.
"Look, anytime top-notch horses have space between their races, they are incredibly dangerous," said Journalism's trainer, Michael McCarthy. "He [Sovereignty] is a fantastic horse, he trains nearby, he's been here for a while, he's in his own backyard. Let's hope everyone stays happy and healthy, and we'll see him in Del Mar hopefully in November, in our own backyard. I can't say enough good things about that horse or about my horse. It has been an incredible experience for me and my guys."
McCarthy did not rule out running in the Travers at Saratoga later that summer.
Journalism appeared to stumble coming out of the gate, but Rispoli dismissed it as not affecting the final outcome.
"[It was a] perfect trip," Rispoli said. "I was fortunate to be on the outside today to take the chance. I would say the freshness played a significant role. He [Journalism] is a warrior, he ran in three legs. He [Sovereignty] ran in one and had five weeks to recover, but that's no excuse. Obviously, I would say the fresher horse won, but [Journalism] beat me twice before. The rivalry may not be Affirmed and Alydar or Dodgers-Yankees or Lakers-Celtics. But it's the best horse racing has had to offer in a few years, and that's something worth noting.
- California, home to Santa Anita, will witness a rivalry in horse-racing as Sovereignty and Journalism, both based there, have shown exceptional skills and determination.
- After a thrilling race in the Belmont Stakes, Sovereignty won, pushing the question of who would have won the Triple Crown if Sovereignty had run in all three races.
- Sports enthusiasts in California may also follow the sport of basketball, where the rivalries between teams such as the Lakers and the Dodgers add to the passion for sports in the state.
- Just as horse-racing gazes at the rivalry between Sovereignty and Journalism, sports admirers around the world follow legendary contests, such as the Dodgers versus the Yankees, or the Lakers against the Celtics, which are renowned for their intensity and historic significance.
