One month after their stretch duel in the Kentucky Derby, Sovereignty and Journalism are set to meet again in Saturday’s running of the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
However, the two horses took different paths to get to upstate New York for the final leg of the Triple Crown.
Sovereignty, who pulled away from Journalism in the final strides to win the May 3 Kentucky Derby, went to Saratoga shortly thereafter as his connections decided against running in the Preakness Stakes, which took place just two weeks after the Derby. Journalism’s handlers sent their colt to Baltimore’s Pimlico Race Course, where the 3-year-old pulled off a stunning victory, rallying from five lengths back down the stretch to take the second jewel.
The two winners highlight a field of eight horses for Saturday’s Belmont. Others set to challenge the pair include Baeza, who finished third in the Kentucky Derby; Rodriguez, who missed the Derby and Preakness due to an injured foot; and Hill Road, who won the Peter Pan Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack in New York on May 10.
Sovereignty, trained by Bill Mott and ridden by Junior Alvarado, will break from the second gate. Journalism, trained by Michael McCarthy with Umberto Rispoli aboard, drew the seventh gate in Monday’s post position draw.
Mott, who also chose not to send his other Derby winner — Country House in 2019 — to the Preakness, said that his colt did well during the five-week layoff.
“He’s been training well, eating well, and he feels good … He has maintained his physical well-being quite well since the Derby,” Mott said earlier this week.
Journalism’s trainer is just hoping his horse can get a clean ride. The Preakness victory came despite Journalism getting bumped down the stretch as Rispoli worked him between a pair of horses.
In Louisville, the horse had what many considered to be an ideal draw in the middle of the field, but Journalism and Rispoli fought congestion at the start of the Derby caused by inside horses breaking away from the rail.
“I’d like to have those first hundred yards over again,” McCarthy said earlier this week. “I’d like to have a clean break and find ourselves a little bit closer to the pace first time past the wire.”
Oddsmakers made Journalism the 8-5 morning-line favorite for Saturday, with Sovereignty next at 2-1.
Baeza, trained by John Shirreffs, is the third choice at 4-1. He’ll break sixth, just inside Journalism. Flavien Prat is the jockey, and it was Prat, then aboard Goal Oriented, who jostled with Rispoli in the Preakness.
Chad Brown trains Hill Road (11-1), who is seeking to become the 10th horse to win the Peter Pan and the Belmont. He drew the inside gate and will be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr.
Rodriguez (6-1), who won the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct in April, will break third. He’s trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by Mike Smith.
Trainer Todd Pletcher, a four-time Belmont winner, has two horses in the race, Uncaged (30-1, fourth post) and Crudo (15-1, fifth). Heart of Honor (30-1, eighth), trained by Jamie Osborne, is also in the field.
Saturday’s Belmont is the second straight at Saratoga while the namesake track on Long Island undergoes a $455 million reconstruction. This year’s race will also be run at 1 1/4 miles rather than its traditional 1 1/2 miles due to Saratoga’s track layout.
–Field Level Media
