Sovereignty Wins Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course
In one of the most anticipated showdowns in recent racing memory, Godolphin's homebred 2025 Kentucky Derby-winner Sovereignty stormed home a radiant winner over Preakness-winner Journalism and Baeza in Saturday's Grade 1, $2 million, 157th Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course, replicating the precise order of finish from the first Saturday in May in a race worthy of the silver screen.
A bay son of Into Mischief, Sovereignty claimed the final jewel of the Triple Crown - and his second - with regular rider Junior Alvarado at the helm. The pair rated just off the pace and swung wide into the stretch to make their run for glory, rolling with giant strides to post a three-length triumph for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.
"I feel we beat a good field of horses," Mott said. "Journalism is a really good horse. I've watched him here this last week and I've looked at him - he's in good form, he looks great, his hair is good and his weight is good. I think he was ready to run today and he ran a good race, you know - Sovereignty was good enough to run him down and get the job done."
In the five weeks since Sovereignty stormed past Journalism in the stretch of Churchill Downs to claim the garland of roses, the racing community buzzed with spirited banter about the Sovereignty camp's decision to skip the Grade 1 Preakness on May 17 at Pimlico Race Course, opting instead to hone in on the 10-furlong Belmont Stakes held at Saratoga as the new Belmont Park undergoes construction.
While Sovereignty enjoyed quiet mornings at the Spa training towards his next target, the Michael McCarthy-trained Journalism turned heads at Pimlico as he endured a troubled trip in the stretch and overcame great adversity to win the 2025 Preakness, setting the stage for a memorable rematch in the Belmont under the famed peaks of Saratoga's storied grandstand where Sovereignty proved that patience reigns supreme.
Michael Banahan, Bloodstock Director for Godolphin USA, said Mott's Hall of Fame evaluation of Sovereignty was impeccable.
"I think if you leave the races out of it, it's what was the right thing to do for the horse? That was what we talked about - what was the right thing for the horse to do going forward," Banahan said. "He ran a hard race in the Kentucky Derby. He only just got his season started in the Fountain of Youth and we had four weeks until the Florida Derby - ran another big race in there and we saw how well he did in the five weeks from the Florida Derby to the Kentucky Derby and we felt another five weeks between the Kentucky Derby to the Belmont was the right way to go for the horse.
"We're looking to have a horse for the whole year and have a career with him, as well," Banahan continued. "There's races down the road we'd really like to win. The Travers is a very special race - we've won it before - I don't think Bill has won it before and it would be great for him to do that. Maybe if the horse is healthy and well to try and get to Del Mar for the Breeders' Cup [Classic]. It's a race we've run in several times but not had an opportunity to win it yet."
To the delight of a raucous crowd, Sovereignty and Journalism were again embattled foes thanks to stalking trips engineered by their respective riders - Alvarado and Umberto Rispoli - behind the tempo set by Grade 2 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino-winner Rodriguez, who, as expected, faced some early pressure to his outside from Crudo through the opening quarter-mile in 23.42 seconds over the fast main track.
Alvarado capitalized upon their smooth break from post 2 to remain along the inside and in a closer-than-anticipated fourth position heading into the first turn while Rispoli coaxed a wide-running Journalism - who bobbled near the start - into fifth alongside Uncaged. Crudo, under Hall of Famer John Velazquez, pressed the issue on the backstretch, matching strides with Rodriguez through the half-mile in 47.60 before fellow enshrine Mike Smith encouraged Rodriguez to edge clear from his pestering rival.
"He broke very well today again like he's [been] doing. He put himself in a good spot," Alvarado said. "I was a little shocked at how close, but at the same time [happy with] how easily he was doing everything. As a jockey, I was very happy where I was. I was forwardly placed and able to see where everybody [was] - Journalism on the outside, Rodriguez right up front, I got to see Johnny's horse - I had eyes everywhere at that point."
Rispoli had quietly summoned Journalism to the outside of Sovereignty, who was now in the three-path and awaiting his cue approaching the turn as Rodriguez's advantage waned through three-quarters in 1:12.20. It was then that Rispoli decided to unleash Journalism, who made a sweeping three-wide move exiting the turn to make easy work of the pacesetters and stick his head in front, with Sovereignty looming large behind and Baeza being forced 5-to-6-wide to commence his bid under Flavien Prat.
"I didn't have to make up too much ground because he was close to the pace," said Alvarado. "He was very ready today and right when we were turning for home, I put him in the clear and gave him the cue and he was just sensational today."
In a stretch run that could not be scripted any better, Journalism was again the one to catch after the mile in 1:36.70, but the courageous Sovereignty kept finding more in the center of the stretch and Baeza followed suit well behind.
Journalism had clearer sailing than he did in Baltimore, and Baeza was again coming with a belated run, but there was no denying the heart of the Derby champion as he swept past inside the eighth pole and added the Belmont jewel to his crown in a final time of 2:00.69.
Journalism finished 3 1/2 lengths ahead of Baeza with the game pacesetter Rodriguez checking in fourth another 1 3/4 lengths back. Hill Road, who gave his customary late run, finished fifth with Heart of Honor, Uncaged and Crudo completing the order of finish.
In a tremendous show of sportsmanship, Rispoli and Alvarado embraced on horseback following the gallop out, with Alvarado reaching over to stroke the neck of Journalism in appreciation of the son of Curlin's valiant effort.
"Journalism ran a great race again," Alvarado said. "A horse that runs in the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness and comes back again today, I give him a lot of credit for doing that and he showed up. He's a very tough horse, too. But today was Sovereignty's day again."
Mott, who is based at Saratoga's Oklahoma training track from April through November, said it is a sweet feeling to win the Belmont in his own backyard.
"This is home. It's the race we were pointing for after the Derby and fortunately it worked out very well," Mott said. "I'm sure we would have taken some criticism had he gotten beat today and he hadn't run in the Preakness, but it worked out. The horse was good. Junior rode him well. He had a lot of confidence in him and when he cut him loose the horse responded and got the job done."
The win marked the second Belmont Stakes victory for Mott, who claimed the "Test of the Champion" when run at its customary 12-furlong distance in 2010 with Drosselmeyer. For Alvarado, Sovereignty has proven a horse to remember, providing him with both his first Kentucky Derby and Belmont wins.
There was not a hint of bitterness from the Journalism team, who praised their colt for yet another tremendous showing in a Triple Crown event. McCarthy tipped his cap to both horses, and welcomed the idea of another rematch down the line, potentially at this fall's Breeders' Cup at Del Mar.
"Look, anytime good horses get space in between their races, they are very, very dangerous. He [Sovereignty] is a very good horse, he trains up here, he's been up here for a while, he's in his backyard," McCarthy said. "Let's hope everybody stays happy and healthy, and we'll see him in Del Mar hopefully in November, in our backyard. I can't say enough good things about that horse or about my horse. It has been a fantastic experience for me and my guys."
McCarthy added Journalism was game to overcome a bit of adversity once again at the start."The second step away from there it looks like he might have kind of stumbled a little bit. He got himself in a good position going into the first turn, a little bit wide but that was fine, keeping his face clear," McCarthy said. "He was in a good position up the backside, put in a solid run around the turn, and was second-best.
"He's a fantastic horse," McCarthy added. "He's done what very few horses can do, three races in five weeks, Triple Crown races, [and finished] second, first, second. Take nothing away from him. He's very, very good."
Rispoli, who enjoyed his first Triple Crown race victory in the Preakness with Journalism, echoed McCarthy's sentiments.
"I had a good trip. I was running down the lane, Junior was just coming by, easing past, so the only thing I can say is probably the freshness," Rispoli commented. "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 today. Obviously, I would say the fresh horse won, but he's a great horse, he beat me already. He beat me twice. Always about circumstances, but I will still be on my horse, and he is going to be good going down the line."
Flavien Prat, aboard the John Shirreffs-trained Baeza, said the half-brother to 2024 Belmont Stakes-winner Dornoch stalled a bit when asked for his best.
"When I was trying to get going, I just wasn't going anywhere," Prat explained. "It took him a long time to get going and then he made a run, but it wasn't enough. I hope he gets over this. He was a bit on and off, but I don't feel like I had much of an excuse, to be honest."
The well-named Sovereignty has now certainly claimed just that over the rest in his division, adding to a win in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth in March at Gulfstream Park, where he also finished second in the Grade 1 Florida Derby in his start prior to the Kentucky Derby. He earned $1.2 million in victory, increasing his bankroll to more than $4.8 million through just seven lifetime outings.
In victory, Sovereignty, a Kentucky homebred, became the first non-Triple Crown-winner since Thunder Gulch in 1995 to win the Kentucky Derby and Belmont, and provided Godolphin with their second Belmont win after sending out homebred Essential Quality in 2021. Sovereignty returned $7 on a $2 win wager.
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Sovereignty crowned with 109 BSF for G1 Belmont Stakes triumph
For many in horse racing, success is all in the family, whether it be the connections of the sport's star athletes or the pedigrees of blue-blooded horses. For the trio of Godolphin, Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, and jockey Junior Alvarado, "family" is the best way to describe the closely-knit connections of Saturday's Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes winner Sovereignty.
"I do my best for everybody, but you feel the power when you get those blue Godolphin silks on," Alvarado said. "You know that it could be something special. If it's a horse that's never run, you always think this could be a good one."
The trio have achieved success at the pinnacle of the sport with horses like Grade 1-winner Speaker's Corner, three-time graded stakes-winner Caramel Swirl, and dual-Champion Cody's Wish, who retired in 2023 after a career that featured back-to-back wins in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and a story that touched the nation as he ran in honor of the late Cody Dorman.
Cody's Wish brought the venerable connections closer together than ever, and when the Curlin colt departed the Mott barn to take up stud duties at Darley's Jonabell Farm, a question lingered about who the next great horse could be for the team. Enter Sovereignty, who debuted last summer at Saratoga Race Course and went on to piece together the next chapter in the great saga of Mott-trained and Alvarado-ridden Godolphin color-bearers.
"It's been an amazing ride since Cody's Wish," Alvarado said. "When [Sovereignty] crossed the wire first in the Derby, I called my agent a couple weeks later and asked, 'how many babies are we getting, are we looking any good...' That's the excitement: you keep looking for the next champion for next year. With Bill, there's always a good chance - he's a great horseman, and great horses keep coming into the barn."
Sovereignty has solidified his status as one of the greats for Mott, adding a three-length triumph in Saturday's 10-furlong Belmont Stakes to a similar 1 1/2-length annexing of the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby in May. The Belmont victory, which came thanks to a close stalking trip engineered by Alvarado, was awarded a career-best 109 Beyer Speed Figure.
Mott said he was not surprised, but grateful to see the son of Into Mischief storm past Preakness winner Journalism in the stretch just as he did on the first Saturday in May.
"I've been doing this for over 50 years. I've had more than one disappointment over that time. There was no doubt," Mott said. "It's just if you have any experience at all, you ready yourself for anything that could happen. You never know. The horse could stumble out of the gate. He could get carried wide. I've seen enough 1-5 or 3-5 shots get beat. There's no such thing as a sure thing. That's why they run the race.
"He looked good [Sunday morning]. He was out early when I got here," Mott added. "They got him cleaned up and walking. His wheels were good. He jogged good. He ate up everything. He has always been good. He's a tough horse. He's a hearty horse. He has a great appetite. He's a trainer's dream."
Alvarado and Mott have proven to be one of racing's most dynamic pairings in the past five years, teaming up on high-profile horses for other owners in Grade 1-winners Art Collector, War Like Goddess, Arthur's Ride, Casa Creed and Olympiad, among others.
"It's the way he works," Alvarado said of the key to his prosperity with Mott. "The way he trains his horses is the same way I like to ride my horses. I like to let them run the race however they want to and I want them to feel comfortable, to do it the right way. That's what Bill does. We're not rushing any horses early on in the races and we don't want to push them to make them do something they're not ready to do. We'll take our time if it takes three, four, five, six, seven, eight, ten races, we'll take it race by race."
That patience was key to Saturday's victory for Sovereignty, who was pointed towards the Belmont immediately following the Derby instead of the traditional route a Derby winner takes to the Grade 1 Preakness two weeks later in Baltimore. Mott quickly returned the colt to his home base at Saratoga's Oklahoma training track, where he made his preparations for his rematch with Journalism.
"He's a horse who is pretty adaptable. This is a pretty good environment for both of us," Mott said. "He's here. He's comfortable. He's got a nice shade tree out here. He's got some green grass to eat, and he's got pretty good people who take care of him. Here is a good spot for him. I'm sure if we were somewhere else, I don't know if it would change anything dramatically. Here, I think the good thing is, naturally, the environment that he lives in with the racetrack that he is able to train on, I think we feel pretty comfortable about training over this track."
Luckily for the Sovereignty camp, some of the nation's most prestigious events for sophomores take place right in their backyard again this summer during the Saratoga meet, led by the Grade 1, $1.25 million DraftKings Travers on August 23, one of the only marquee events absent from Mott's remarkable list of accolades. The traditional local prep for the Travers is the Grade 2, $500,000 Jim Dandy presented by Mohegan Sun on July 26, a race Mott sees as a logical steppingstone.
"I think we are very lucky, if we are talking about the Travers, we'll probably stay here until then. I think we would probably run in the Jim Dandy," Mott said. "I think that's a good possibility. Surely, it's not set in stone. It's here. This is all depending on him, what he's doing, and what the next couple of months brings. If he was going to have a race before the Travers, it would be the Jim Dandy. I'm sure by the time the Jim Dandy rolls around, he's probably going to be ready to do something."
After Sovereignty napped in the deep straw of his stall overlooking the Oklahoma training track on Sunday morning and Mott finished chatting with reporters, Alvarado - along with his wife Kelly and their children Adrian, Adalyn and Axel - took time to visit with Sovereignty and feed him carrots beside longtime Mott employee Erma Scott, all members of not just the same racing team, but of a family forged over some of racing's most celebrated horses.
For Mott, mornings like this are the most satisfying.
"I'm relieved. Sometimes, you get into a situation with a horse like this and probably there is a lot of expectations not only from me, but from everyone around him," Mott said. "So, instead of a high, it's a relief they showed up and did what you thought they should do or could do. He did it. Now, it's like letting the air of the balloon. It's over, at least for yesterday."
