The 2025 Triple Crown season came to a close in dramatic fashion Saturday at Saratoga Race Course, as Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty surged past Preakness winner Journalism in the stretch to capture the Belmont Stakes, reaffirming his place as the leading 3-year-old in the country.
Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott and ridden expertly by Júnior Alvarado, Sovereignty delivered another masterclass in timing and tenacity, storming from just off the pace to win the 1 1/4-mile Classic in a time of 2:00.69—the second-fastest ever at that distance on Saratoga’s dirt, trailing only Arrogate’s 1:59.36 in the 2016 Travers.
This year’s Belmont was shaped by bold strategy. After winning the Kentucky Derby five weeks ago, Godolphin and Mott made the calculated decision to skip the Preakness and train Sovereignty up to the Belmont. It mirrored their earlier successful approach this season, when the colt rebounded from a second in the Florida Derby with a winning effort at Churchill Downs.
In the interim, Journalism, trained by Chad Brown, took center stage, winning the Preakness and entering the Belmont as the only horse to contest all three legs of the Triple Crown in 2025. That gritty campaign added gravitas to the rematch narrative between the year’s two Classic-winning colts.
As expected, Bob Baffert’s Rodríguez went straight to the front, closely tracked by Crudo, setting honest early fractions of 23.42, 47.60, 1:12.20, and 1:36.70. Journalism and Sovereignty sat just behind the leaders, with both jockeys clearly intent on avoiding the kind of late rally that had marked the Kentucky Derby.
Journalism made the first decisive move, seizing command at the top of the stretch. But Alvarado had Sovereignty poised to pounce. With a bold move on the outside, the Derby champ surged forward, steadily wearing down Journalism in the final furlong to win by a clear margin, replicating the Derby exacta from the first Saturday in May.
Rodríguez, after setting the pace, faded to finish fourth, while Crudo trailed the field of eight. Baeza, who finished third in both the Derby and Belmont, completed a familiar trifecta.
Final Order of Finish (Unofficial Top 4):
- Sovereignty (5-2, $7.00, $3.20, $2.30)
- Journalism (2-1, $2.80, $2.10)
- Baeza (7-2, $2.40)
- Rodríguez
The $2 exacta (Sovereignty over Journalism) returned $13.20, and the $2 trifecta (with Baeza third) paid $27.60.
For Sovereignty, the victory bolstered an already stellar résumé:
- Record: 7 starts – 4 wins, 2 seconds, 0 thirds
- Earnings: $4,872,800
- Belmont Purse Share: $1.2 million
Meanwhile, Journalism’s valiant Triple Crown campaign will be remembered fondly: runner-up in the Derby, victorious in the Preakness, and second again in the Belmont—a feat that underscored his class and durability.
As the racing world looks ahead to the summer and fall schedule, the rivalry between Sovereignty and Journalism may yet write more chapters, but for now, the Belmont crown belongs to Sovereignty—the colt who rose to the moment once again and proved his Derby win was no fluke.
