Journalism will compete in Belmont Stakes, draws announced Monday
Journalism will compete in Belmont Stakes, draws announced Monday
Show Caption
Hide Caption
Sovereignty Captures 2025 Kentucky Derby
Sovereignty triumphed in a rain-soaked 2025 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, overcoming tough conditions and a competitive field.
Journalism is expected to race in the $2 million Grade 1 Belmont Stakes race on Saturday, June 7.
The 3-year-old colt is coming off a victory as the odds-on favorite in the Preakness Stakes race on May 17, working his way from along the rail and in the middle of the pack to break free after the final turn and overcoming some bumping from other competitors.
Michael W. McCarthy, Journalism's trainer, praised the horse by telling the New York Racing Association that "he's a wonderful mover. He gets over the ground very well. He's got an incredible stride to him."
Journalism finished the Preakness with a time of 1 minute, 55.47 seconds at Pimlico in Baltimore, Maryland.
The Preakness winner will go against a field that features Sovereignty, the Kentucky Derby winner. Journalism finished in second place in the Kentucky Derby on May 3.
Journalism will be the only horse among the Belmont field that's competed in all three Triple Crown races. Sovereignty did not compete in the Preakness.
When will the Belmont Stake post position draws be announced?
The Belmont Stakes post position draws will be held on Monday at 5 p.m. ET.
Journalism wins the Preakness Stakes
The biggest stories, every morning. Stay up-to-date on all the key sports developments by subscribing to USA TODAY Sports' newsletter.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
37 minutes ago
- Washington Post
How to bet Saturday's Belmont Stakes
The 157th Belmont Stakes, set for Saturday at Saratoga Race Course, promises an electrifying finale to the Triple Crown season. This year's field features a compelling rematch between Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty and Preakness Stakes champion Journalism, both vying for supremacy in the final leg of the three-race series. Adding intrigue is Baeza, the Derby's third-place finisher, who enters the race well rested and seemingly poised for a breakthrough performance. With only eight contenders, two of which are expected to be short-priced entries, you have to be judicious with your wagering dollars. Here are some strategies and factors to consider before heading to the ticket window. After that commendable third-place finish in the Kentucky Derby — closing strong from 15th position — Baeza opted to bypass the Preakness, focusing on targeted training for the Belmont. His Brisnet speed figures have steadily improved from 79 to 88 to 98 to 107; he recorded a 102 over a muddy surface at the Derby. Notably, his 107 figure in the April 5 Grade I Santa Anita Derby was a career-best, indicating his capacity to excel while competing at the highest level. Plus, his recent six-furlong workout at Santa Anita, where he clocked in at a solid 1:12.40, underscores his readiness. Baeza's pedigree is also noteworthy. He is a half brother to 2023 Kentucky Derby winner Mage and 2024 Belmont Stakes champion Dornoch, both offspring of his mare, Puca. If Baeza wins, Puca would become the only dam of three Triple Crown race winners, all in consecutive years. With two committed front-runners in Rodriguez and Crudo, the Belmont could feature a fast early pace that sets up well for horses with strong finishing ability. But that's no guarantee. Typically, I like to see three or more front-runners in a field before I anticipate a pace fast enough to advantage those late-running horses. Since Rodriguez has shown his speed against better competition, I prefer him over Crudo. I would also expect that Baeza, a tactical stalker, would benefit from the anticipated pace. He's fast enough to stay within striking range and often restrained enough to avoid getting caught in a speed duel. If the pace is swift, horses such as Journalism and Uncaged may find themselves pressing too close to the pace, potentially dulling their finishing kick. However, I would be very surprised if the pace is so fast that closers such as Sovereignty and Hill Road are able to take command in the late stages. AccuWeather says there should be three hours of rain on Saturday at Saratoga, with a 26 percent chance of thunderstorms. If the Belmont is run on an off track, focus on horses with tactical speed and the ability to stay close to the pace, as deep closers may struggle with footing and reduced visibility from kickback. In such conditions, Baeza, a stalker, could again gain an advantage by positioning just off the leaders, avoiding the worst of the kickback while conserving energy for a strong finish. Similarly, pressers such as Journalism and Uncaged might benefit from being near the front, especially if the early pace is moderate because of subpar track conditions. Closers such as Sovereignty and Hill Road might find it challenging to make up ground late, as the wet surface can sap the energy needed for a powerful closing run. It's also worth noting that some horses have demonstrated proficiency on off tracks in past performances, such as Uncaged. He's won two races on a muddy track, with one of those victories at Saratoga. He is the only horse in the field with a win at this track, rain or shine. Small fields such as this one, with two short-priced horses, are not often lucrative for bettors, so you have to be judicious with your bankroll. Personally, I would limit a majority of my exotic bets to exactas — bets in which you pick the top two finishers in the correct order — looking to cash in on Rodriguez and Baeza to win and come in second. The same idea holds true for the trifectas and superfectas, although those would demand smaller bets. Here is my strategy. Rodriguez, Baeza, Journalism and Heart of Honor should be fast enough to be competitive, and those are the horses I'll consider in exactas and trifectas. Specifically, I am looking for the following payouts to make a $2 exacta wager. If you don't see payouts in the pool that reach these levels, then don't place the bet(s). Recent experience suggests the exacta pools for using Journalism in the win or place slots will certainly not be high enough to justify the potential return, so they aren't included in the table. For the trifecta, here is how I would structure my tickets. (The 3 horse is Rodriguez, the 6 is Baeza, the 7 is Journalism and the 8 is Heart of Honor.) $1 trifecta using 3 with 6 with 7 and 8 (3/6/7,8) for $2 $1 trifecta using 6 with 3 with 7 and 8 (6/3/7,8) for $2 $1 trifecta using 7 and 8 with 6 with 3 (7,8/6/3) for $2 Our superfecta will use a strategy called the 'double exacta box,' which aims to back up your exacta with a super that adds the next two most likely horses boxed in the three and four slots. If we hit the exacta, we will have set ourselves up for a potential big payoff. $1 super 3 and 6 with 3 and 6 with 7 and 8 with 7 and 8 (3,6/3,6/7,8/7,8) for $4
New York Times
37 minutes ago
- New York Times
How to watch the 157th Belmont Stakes: Schedule, odds, horses and weather
The third and final leg of horse racing's Triple Crown happens Saturday evening, and this year's 'Run for the Carnations' has a $2 million purse. Saratoga Race Course hosts the 157th Belmont Stakes while its usual home, Belmont Park, undergoes a massive renovation. There is a rejuvenated energy at this new venue, with last year's attendance capped at 50,000. Sovereignty, the Kentucky Derby winner, skipped the Preakness but is back for the Belmont Stakes with 2-1 odds. Journalism, the recent Preakness champ, is the clubhouse favorite at 8-5. Advertisement Here is the field, sorted by post position, with jockeys and morning line odds: Post time is set for 7:04 p.m. ET. But FS1's pre-race coverage begins at 10:30 a.m. ET, with several hours of programming on both FS1 and Fox (starting at 2:30 p.m. on Fox) before the main event on FOX at 6:30. The ever-present Curt Menefee anchors the pre-race studio stuff. He's flanked by two fixtures of the sport in trainer Tom Amoss and jockey Richard Migliore. Tom Rinaldi offers his trademark narrative excellence from the racetrack. Maggie Wolfendale is a top-tier analyst from the paddock. Frank Mirahmadi will call the Belmont Stakes and all supporting races on Fox. And apparently, Terry Bradshaw is going to pop in and out of frame. This year, thanks to the changed venue, the race is shorter than its usual 1 1/2 miles (12 furlongs) at 1 1/4 miles long, or 10 furlongs. Saratoga Race Course also hosted the Belmont Stakes in 2024. The legendary Secretariat set the race records at Belmont Park (the longer distance) for speed and margin of victory back in 1973. That feat sealed his '73 Triple Crown, too. Secretariat really was the greatest of all time … the GOAT-horse, if your imagination will allow for such a majestic creature. The Belmont Stakes' winningest jockeys are Jim McLaughlin (1882-86) and Eddie Arcaro (1941-55). Each finished in first six times. The winningest trainer here is James G. Rowe Sr., with eight triumphs between 1883 and 1913. Wilder still, he also won the race as a jockey … twice, with two different horses, in 1872 and '73. Dornoch took last year's title, a bay colt co-owned by former MLB All-Star Jayson Werth. The horse clocked in at 2:01.64. Dornoch retired after last year's strong finish, and his jockey, Luis Saez, is racing with Uncaged on Saturday. Advertisement According to The Weather Channel, Saratoga Springs should expect rainfall throughout Friday and into Saturday morning. The forecast calls for some sunshine afterward, and conditions should be clear by post time, with 84-85 percent humidity and 6-7 mph winds from the northwest. The winning owner gets a Tiffany & Co. silver trophy. The winning horse gets a blanket of white carnations. It doesn't seem like proportional compensation, but so it goes. A bunch of New York-centric songs have been used for the winner's trot, from Charles B. Lawlor's 'The Sidewalks of New York' to Jay Z and Alicia Keys' 'Empire State of Mind,' but the enduring anthem is 'New York, New York' by Frank Sinatra. The official cocktail was the questionable Belmont Breeze — whiskey, sherry, juices, sodas and a splash of cream. Now it is the Belmont Jewel, a simpler mix of bourbon, lemonade and pomegranate juice over ice. Morning line refers to the first slate of odds, based on the initial poll position. Horse racing has parimutuel betting, meaning that any odds fluctuation applies to all bettors until the final odds are settled. For most sports, a 10-1 ticket will pay out at 10-1, even if the pregame odds shift down to 2-1. But for horse racing, that 10-1 ticket will pay out at 2-1. There's no extra credit for getting the pick before it was popular. Bettors can try to predict the race's winner outright, but there are a variety of other ways to get action on a racer: What would a 2025 Belmont Stakes win mean for Journalism's legacy? 2025 Belmont Stakes power rankings: How Journalism, Sovereignty and the field stack up Steve Cady on June 10, 1973: ''Three…two…one—ignition!' 'It was racing's version of a moon shot, and the crowd of nearly 70,000 at Belmont Park never stopped yelling yesterday as Secretariat roared off the launching pad and streaked to the first Triple Crown in 25 years. Any other horse who set the kind of pace he set in the 1½‐mile Belmont Stakes would have come home in a horse ambulance. Secretariat came to the wire in glory, a 31‐length winner of the fastest dirt‐course mile and a half ever run in America. ''I just let him run his own way,' said an obviously relieved Ron Turcotte after riding the Meadow Stable colt down geranium‐lined Victory Lane to collect the blanket of white carnations. 'All of us had a lot of pressure, but I guess I carried the last couple of minutes of it.'' Streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication. (Photo of Sovereignty, ridden by Junior Alvarado, winning the Kentucky Derby in May: Grace Bradley / Getty Images)
Bloomberg
2 hours ago
- Bloomberg
Bet Against Journalism in Belmont Stakes: David Papadopoulos
If you missed the Preakness Stakes, call up the NBC replay. I've been watching thoroughbreds run for a long, long time. I'd never seen one do what Journalism did that day. With a quarter mile to go, he squeezed his big frame through an impossibly narrow hole and then, after careening off rivals and losing all momentum, unleashed a sudden, frantic rally to nail the leader in the shadow of the finish line.
