The Belmont Stakes, the third leg of the Triple Crown, concluded its 157th edition at Saratoga Race Course, crowning a new champion. This prestigious American Grade I stakes race featured eight three-year-old thoroughbreds, with Sovereignty crossing the finish line first.
Sovereignty, who claimed victory at the Kentucky Derby earlier in May, has won again, securing his second race of the Triple Crown season. In an exhilarating race that kept everyone on the edge of their seats, Sovereignty narrowly beat the other favorite, Journalism, to take the win. Baeza, at 3-1 odds prior to the race, finished in third place.
Although no Triple Crown winner emerged this year, the Belmont Stakes delivered on its promise of excitement. USA TODAY Sports breaks down all the action here:
Sovereignty wins the Belmont Stakes
The early favorite, Sovereignty, has won the 157th edition of the Belmont Stakes. Here are the top three finishers:
- Sovereignty
- Journalism
- Baeza
Belmont Stakes highlights: Watch Sovereignty beat Journalism
Belmont Stakes results:
Here is how the Belmont Stakes ended in order of finish.
- Sovereignty
- Journalism
- Baeza
- Rodriguez
- Hill Road
- Heart of Honor
- Uncaged
- Crudo
Belmont Stakes purse
According to Twinspires.com, the purse amount for the 157th annual Belmont Stakes is $2 million. Here is a breakdown of the purse for the top finishers.
- 1st Place Sovereignty: $1.2 million
- 2nd Place Journalism: $360,000
- 3rd Place Baeza: $200,000
Race 1 results:
Results according to the Belmont Stakes:
- First place: Maggy’s Palace
- Second place: Roswell
- Third place: Willow Bend
Race 2 results:
Results according to the Belmont Stakes:
- First place: Stars and Strides
- Second place: Mainstream
- Third place: Secured Lender
Race 3 results:
Results according to the Belmont Stakes:
- First place: Big Blue Line
- Second place: Certified Loverboy
- Third place: Alternate Reality
Race 4 results:
Results according to the Belmont Stakes:
- First place: General Partner
- Second place: Victory Way
- Third place: Echo Again
Race 5 results:
Results according to the Belmont Stakes:
- First place: Pentathlon
- Second place: Ridgewood Runner
- Third place: Unlimitedpotential
Race 6 results:
Results according to the Belmont Stakes:
- First place: Nitrogen
- Second place: Bessie Abott (IRE)
- Third place: May Day Ready
Race 7 results:
Results according to the Belmont Stakes:
- First place: Book’em Danno
- Second place: Mullikin
- Third place: Crazy Mason
Race 8 results:
Results according to the Belmont Stakes:
- First place: Raging Torrent
- Second place: Fierceness
- Third place: Just a Touch
Race 9 results:
Race 9 canceled according to the Belmont Stakes:
Race 10 results:
Results according to the Belmont Stakes:
- First place: A.P. Kid
- Second place: Mi Bago
- Third place: Golden Channel
Race 11 results:
- First place: Patch Adams
- Second place: Madaket Road
- Third place: Big Truzz
Race 12 results:
Race 12 canceled according to the Belmont Stakes.
Race 13 results:
- First place: Sovereignty
- Second place: Journalism
- Third place: Baeza
Race 14 results:
- First place: Top Gun Rocket
- Second place: Street Swagg
- Third place: Whittington Park
What time is the 2025 Belmont Stakes?
The 157th running of the Belmont Stakes will be held Saturday, June 7. Post time is 7:04 p.m. ET
2025 Belmont Stakes post positions
Here’s where each horse landed, as well as its trainer, jockey and current odds via Belmont Stakes:
- Hill Road
- Trainer: Chad Brown
- Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.
- Odds: 10-1
- Sovereignty
- Trainer: Bill Mott
- Jockey: Junior Alvarado
- Odds: 2-1
- Rodriguez
- Trainer: Bob Baffert
- Jockey: Mike Smith
- Odds: 6-1
- Uncaged
- Trainer: Todd Pletcher
- Jockey: Luis Saez
- Odds: 30-1
- Crudo
- Trainer: Todd Pletcher
- Jockey: John Velazquez
- Odds: 15-1
- Baeza
- Trainer: John Shirreffs
- Jockey: Flavien Prat
- Odds: 4-1
- Journalism
- Trainer: Michael McCarthy
- Jockey: Umberto Rispoli
- Odds: 8-5
- Heart of Honor
- Trainer: Jamie Osborne
- Jockey: Saffie Osborne
- Odds: 30-1
When is the 2025 Belmont Stakes?
- Date: Saturday, June 7, 2025
- Time: 7:04 p.m. ET
- Stream: FOX Sports app, FOXSports.com, Fubo (offers free trial)
- TV: FOX
- Location: Saratoga Race Course (Saratoga Springs, New York)
The 157th Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course is set for Saturday, June 7, 2025. Fans can watch the race, which will be streamed on FOX Sports app, FOXSports.com, and Fubo.
Watch the 2025 Belmont Stakes on Fubo
Why your Belmont horse can and can’t win
2. Sovereignty (2-1)
Why he can win: If Rodriguez and Crudo go fast early, the race sets up for a closer like Sovereignty to do his thing. After skipping the Preakness, he’s well-rested.
Why he can’t: Mott ruffled some feathers when he told the Daily Racing Form that Sovereignty had no reason to skip the Preakness, except that “we didn’t feel like it.” We’ll see if the “racing gods” take offense.
7. Journalism (8-5)
Why he can win: He can seemingly overcome anything, winning the Santa Anita Derby and Preakness after encountering trouble. Maybe we’ll look back at the Kentucky Derby as the only smudge on an otherwise impeccable résumé.
Why he can’t: You can argue how much fault jockey Umberto Rispoli deserves for the trouble Journalism has encountered over his past three races, but how much do you trust him?
Where to watch the Belmont today
- Date: Saturday, June 7, 2025
- Time: 7:04 p.m. ET (race starts) | 2:30 p.m. ET (TV coverage)
- TV: FOX
- Stream: FOX Sports app, FOXSports.com, Fubo (offers free trial)
Belmont 2025 odds
Here are odds for each horse in the 2025 Preakness Stakes, listed in order of post position and morning-line odds.
Odds according to CBS Sports:
- No. 1 – Hill Road: odds (10-1), Trainer: Chad Brown
- No. 2 – Sovereignty: odds (2-1) Trainer: Bill Mott
- No. 3 – Rodriguez: odds (6-1) Trainer: Bob Baffert
- No. 4 – Uncaged: odds (30-1) Trainer: Todd Pletcher
- No. 5 – Crudo: odds (15-1) Trainer: Todd Pletcher
- No. 6 – Baeza: odds (4-1) Trainer: John Shirreffs
- No. 7 – Journalism: odds (8-5) Trainer: Michael McCarthy
- No. 8 – Heart of Honor: odds (30-1) Trainer: Jamie Osborne
e Belmont Stakes
What is the 2025 Belmont Stakes purse?
According to Twinspires.com, the purse amount for the 157th annual Bellmont Stakes is $2 million. Here is a breakdown of the purse by finish.
- 1st: $1.2 million
- 2nd: $360,000
- 3rd: $200,000
- 4th: $100,000
- 5th: $60,000
- 6th: $40,000
- 7th: $20,000
- 8th: $20,000
Is Sovereignty at the 2025 Belmont?
The Kentucky Derby winner trained by Bill Mott, Sovereignty, did not compete in the Preakness Stakes. There will be no chance for a Triple Crown this year. However, Sovereignty is indeed running at Belmont at morning odds of 2-1. This poses a matchup with the Preakness winner, Journalism, which is also in the field on Saturday.
Where is the Belmont Stakes?
The Belmont Stakes will once again run at the Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. The race is temporarily relocating to a new venue, away from Belmont Park, until its renovation is complete in 2026. The Belmont also ran at Saratoga in 2024.
Time for horse racing to realize Triple Crown must change
Every Kentucky Derby-winning trainer has the same day-after script when it comes to bringing their horse to the Preakness. And the line is usually some non-committal variation of “they’ll tell us” if they’re physically ready to run back just two weeks later in the second jewel of the Triple Crown.
Well, Bill Mott wasn’t kidding Sunday, the morning after Sovereignty’s victory. You could almost see the thought bubble forming around his words, telling everyone not to be too surprised if he and the management team at Godolphin, which owns the horse, decided to take a pass on Baltimore. — Dan Wolken
Belmont predictions: Expert picks
Asbury Park Press: Four out of six go Journalism to win
Experts make their picks for the Belmont in order of finish:
- Ken Jordan: Sovereignty, Rodriguez, Journalism, Baeza
- Sean Nolan: Journalism, Baeza, Rodriguez, Sovereignty
- Steven Falk: Journalism, Baeza, Sovereignty, Rodriguez
- Steve Edelson: Journalism, Sovereignty, Rodriguez, Heart of Honor
- Greg Giombarrese: Journalism, Baeza, Sovereignty, Rodriguez
- Bob Jordan: Baeza, Hill Road, Journalism, Sovereignty
Sports Illustrated: Sovereignty
Sean Treppedi writes, ‘Trainer Bill Mott, who guided Drosselmeyer to a Belmont win 15 years ago, has methodically developed him for peak performances and says Sovereignty has only improved for this race. With the right stamina and experience, Mott has a good shot at collecting two legs of the Triple Crown in 2025.’