He did it again. Honestly, if you watched the 157th running of the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga, you probably felt a weird sense of déjà vu. The winner of Belmont Stakes 2025 was Sovereignty, a horse that basically proved he owns this crop of three-year-olds.
He skipped the Preakness. People talked. They said he was "ducking" the competition or that his Kentucky Derby win was a fluke. But on June 7, 2025, the Bill Mott-trained colt walked into Saratoga and reminded everyone why he’s the king of the dirt right now.
Sovereignty and the Race That Silenced the Critics
The atmosphere at Saratoga Race Course was electric, even if it wasn't the traditional mile-and-a-half "Test of the Champion" we usually see in Elmont. Because of the ongoing $455 million renovation at Belmont Park, the race stayed at the Spa for a second year. This meant the distance was 1 1/4 miles—the same as the Derby.
Junior Alvarado sat chilly on Sovereignty for most of the trip. Journalism, the Preakness winner and the horse everyone thought would get his revenge, was right there. He was the 8-5 favorite, actually. Most bettors figured the "freshness" factor was the only reason Sovereignty would win.
They weren't entirely wrong, but they weren't entirely right either.
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Journalism, ridden by Umberto Rispoli, looked like he had the race won coming off the turn. He surged. The crowd roared. But then Sovereignty found that extra gear he showed at Churchill Downs. He didn't just pass Journalism; he powered away. He won by three lengths in a final time of 2:00.69.
It was a repeat. The same top three from the Kentucky Derby finished in the exact same order: Sovereignty, Journalism, and Baeza.
What Most People Get Wrong About the 2025 Field
There’s this narrative that Sovereignty only won because he was rested. You’ll hear it at the betting windows and on social media. "He skipped the Preakness, so of course he had more gas."
Well, sure, five weeks of rest helps. But look at Journalism. That horse ran in all three legs of the Triple Crown and never finished worse than second. He’s a warrior. But Sovereignty is just... better.
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William I. Mott, the Hall of Fame trainer, knew what he was doing. He took some heat for not going to Baltimore. People wanted a Triple Crown bid. But Mott cares about the horse, not the trophies. He said after the race that they pointed to the Belmont the day after the Derby. It paid off to the tune of a $1.2 million winner's share of the $2 million purse.
The Full Finishing Order (For the Record)
If you’re looking at the charts, here is how the rest of the field shook out behind the winner of Belmont Stakes 2025:
- Winner: Sovereignty (Junior Alvarado / William I. Mott) - 2.50 odds
- 2nd: Journalism (Umberto Rispoli / Michael W. McCarthy) - 2.05 odds
- 3rd: Baeza (Flavien Prat / John Shirreffs) - 3.50 odds
- 4th: Rodriguez (Mike Smith / Bob Baffert)
- 5th: Hill Road (Irad Ortiz Jr. / Chad Brown)
- 6th: Heart of Honor (Saffie Osborne / Jamie Osborne)
- 7th: Uncaged (Luis Saez / Todd Pletcher)
- 8th: Crudo (John Velazquez / Todd Pletcher)
Poor Crudo. He’s co-owned by celebrity chef Bobby Flay, but there was no secret sauce for him in this race. He finished dead last.
The Saratoga Factor
Running the Belmont at Saratoga changes things. It’s a tighter track. The distance change from 1 1/2 miles to 1 1/4 miles definitely favored a horse like Sovereignty who has that middle-distance tactical speed.
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The crowd of 46,243 didn't seem to mind the change. The handle—the total amount bet—was over $101 million. People show up for Saratoga. There’s something about that old-school grandstand and the trees in the paddock that makes even a "shortened" Belmont feel massive.
Why the Winner of Belmont Stakes 2025 Matters for the Future
Sovereignty is now the 52nd horse to win two legs of the Triple Crown. He joins a list of greats like Thunder Gulch (1995) who won the Derby and the Belmont but missed the Preakness.
Is he a Hall of Famer? Maybe not yet. But he’s the undisputed leader of the division. The rivalry with Journalism is the best thing to happen to horse racing in a while. They’ve faced off twice on the biggest stages, and Sovereignty has come out on top both times.
Michael McCarthy, Journalism's trainer, was gracious in defeat. He admitted they were "second best" and is already looking toward a rematch in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar. That’s in California—Journalism’s home turf.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans and Bettors
If you followed the winner of Belmont Stakes 2025 and want to keep track of where this division goes next, here is what you should do:
- Watch the Travers Stakes: This is the "Mid-Summer Derby" back at Saratoga in August. Expect Sovereignty and Journalism to meet for a third time. It’ll be the tie-breaker for many fans.
- Track the Speed Figures: Sovereignty’s 2:00.69 was fast. Compare that to the older horses running in the Whitney or the Metropolitan Handicap to see if he can actually compete against the "big boys" in the fall.
- Follow the Breeders’ Cup Rankings: As we head toward November at Del Mar, these three-year-olds will start moving up the ladder. Sovereignty is currently the horse to beat for 3-Year-Old of the Year.
- Check the Belmont Park Updates: Construction is moving fast. The 2026 Belmont Stakes is expected to return to its rightful home in Elmont, New York, at the brand-new facility. It'll be back to the 1 1/2 mile distance, which is a totally different game.
Sovereignty didn't just win a race on June 7. He defined a season. He showed that sometimes, the best move isn't chasing every trophy, but waiting for the right moment to prove you're the best.