Belmont 2025 | Local Contenders

The Belmont Stakes is the final showdown of the Triple Crown series, and even though this year there won’t actually be a Triple Crown winner, it’s still shaping up to be a hotly anticipated race, because the two champions of the 2025 Kentucky Derby and Preakness races are going to be posting up for the contest.

It’s nicknamed the “Test of the Champion” because historically it’s the longest and fastest of the Triple Crown races, normally clocking at 1.5 miles. But for the past two years, Belmont Park has been under an extensive renovation, so Saratoga Racetrack will once again host instead. That means the track is slightly shorter – 1.25 miles around the loop – but if you’re a horse who’s run at the Derby or Preakness (or both), it’s no less a challenge. You still have to run fast to win that $2 Million purse, and it takes a lot of stamina to do it.

The Belmont Stakes was named after German-American financier, businessman and diplomat August Belmont, who was the founder and arguably the driving force behind organized racing in the New York area. The race was initially held at Jerome Park starting in 1867, later moving to Morris Park Racecourse in 1890, and then finally to the 430-acre Belmont Park in May 1905. In 1926, the first August Belmont Trophy was awarded to the winner, which the owner holds in possession for one year – until the next race is run, at which time they surrender it to the new champion. Winners are also given a silver mini-version of the trophy (they get to keep that one) and the cash purse.

Two million dollars seems like a lot of money – well, it is a lot of money, let’s not kid ourselves – but it’s likely immediately allocated for expenses practically before horse and rider leave the Winner’s Circle. In other words, it goes almost as fast as the race does. That’s because it also takes investment – money as well as time – for the care and keeping of champion thoroughbreds.

Most people don’t run horses in these top-tier races solely for the prize money; it’s also about bloodlines and legacy. A champion horse in retirement can conceivably (no pun intended) make a lot of potential champion foals who then go on to make their sires legends for creating such progeny. For instance, Secretariat isn’t just famous for being a champion runner; after he retired in 1973, he embarked on a new career as a prolific paterfamilias.

His first official 1975 count was a whopping 28 foals, and he went on to spawn over 600 of them – nearly half of whom became champions. When he passed in 1989, he didn’t leave behind a leading sire to keep up the family business – but his legion of daughters cemented his legacy by creating champions of their own. Today Secretariat’s pedigree can be found in numerous prestige race winners, including Rags to Riches (Belmont 2007), California Chrome (Kentucky Derby, Preakness 2014), and Triple Crown winners American Pharoah (2015) and Justify (2018).

Eight horses are competing in this year’s Belmont Stakes, and four among them have Ocala connections: Rodriguez is back in action, after his unexpected scratch from the 2025 Kentucky Derby due to a foot bruise injury, and Mayberry Farms thoroughbred Baeza, who came in 3rd at the Derby this year is also on the post up list.

Sovereignty is also returning; his amazing Derby win earned him a well-used hiatus from the Preakness. Finally Journalism, who was hot on Sovereignty’s hooves and took 2nd Place at the Derby, stepped in at the Preakness and stormed that race for a thrilling victory at the finish line. The two champions are meeting at post up on June 7 alongside the other six contenders, and our guess is that people are going to be hard-pressed on which favorite to root for in this last Triple Crown jewel.

Sovereignty

A graduate of the early training program at Bridlewood Farm in Ocala.

George Isaacs – General manager
Meda Murphy – Trainer

Rodriguez

Received early training at Eddie Woods Training Center in Ocala.

Eddie Woods – Owner and trainer at Eddie Woods Training Center

Baeza

Purchased for $1.2 million at Keeneland September Yearling Sale by April, Summer and Jeanne Mayberry’s Mayberry Farm, where he also received his foundational training.

Journalism

Owned in partnership by John and Leslie Malone’s Bridlewood Farm in Ocala, Journalism also received his early training at Bridlewood.

George Isaacs – General manager,
Meda Murphy – Trainer

This year’s big event is also part of the five-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival event going from June 4 to 8. The festival includes 27 races with over $11M in purse prizes – the highest number of stakes since the festival’s inception a decade ago. Tickets went on sale starting in February and are still available for purchase – General Admission for Belmont race day are $75 for adults and $20 for kids ages 4-12, and that includes access to the backyard, picnic areas, and apron; GA admission bundles are also available for the full five-day extravaganza at $120.

If you just want to check out the festival itself, tickets are $30 for adults and $10 for kids (12 and under are free), and those go on sale Friday, June 6.

To watch the goings-on at Saratoga, you can see it all on Fox Sports starting June 4 at 12:30 pm and running through June 8 until 5:30 pm.

To speed, spirit, and one unforgettable race day!

Illustration of black-eyed susan flowers