Sovereignty sits atop the sophomore throne with G1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets triumph. (Janet Napolitano)
By Mary Eddy
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – In one of the most anticipated showdowns in recent racing memory, Godolphin’s homebred Kentucky Derby-winner Sovereignty stormed home a radiant winner over Preakness-winner Journalism and Baeza in Saturday’s Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets 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 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.
Live racing resumes Sunday at Saratoga Race Course for Closing Day of the five-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. The 13-race card features a rescheduled pair of Grade 1 turf events in the 5 1/2-furlong $500,000 Jaipur [Race 12] – a “Win and You’re In” for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint; and the $1 million Resorts World Casino Manhattan [Race 13], which has been moved from the Mellon turf to the inner turf course and shortened from 1 3/16-miles to nine furlongs. Also featured are the off-the-turf Grade 3, $175,000 Soaring Softly in Race 7 and the $150,000 Jersey Girl in Race 9. First post is 12:10 p.m. Eastern. Admission gates will open to the public at 11 a.m.
