Latest news with #Saratoga
Telegraph
7 hours ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Belmont Stakes 2025 – Runner-by-runner guide and tips
The Belmont Stakes – the final race of the US Triple Crown – is being run for a second straight year over a reduced distance (1m 2f instead of 1m 4f) in upstate New York at Saratoga, while the track after which it is named undergoes reconstruction. The race is live on Sky Sports Racing in the early hours of Sunday. Our in-house expert Ron Wood, who tipped Preakness winner Journalism in the second leg of the Triple Crown at Pimlico, is back with another comprehensive horse-by-horse guide, plus his verdict and selection. Odds provided by William Hill and correct at the time of writing. Stars denote strength of selection (max 5). If you already have a William Hill account and are looking for a new bookmaker to use for this week's racing, check out more free bets from the best betting sites, reviewed by our experts. Belmont Stakes – 12.04am BST, Sunday Ron Wood's Belmont Stakes verdict What a race this is. It features the 1-2-3 from last month's Kentucky Derby – Sovereignty, Journalism and BAEZA – and these three look like the runners to concentrate on. Journalism has already been out since and won the Preakness, overcoming serious traffic, and there is still more to come from him, although Sovereignty and Baeza have been kept fresh specifically for this race since the Derby. BAEZA is fancied to prove best. The selection is a big horse, a May foal, some three months younger than Sovereignty, and looks to have improvement in him. John Shirreffs' runner was second to Journalism in the Santa Anita Derby before finishing third in the Kentucky Derby, and is still learning his trade. He was in front soon after the line in both those races, and at Churchill Downs he had been stopped in his run when about to make a move at the same time as the winner on the home turn. Given he has little to find with the top two in the market, and still has the potential for plenty more, he's an appealing option to emulate his half-brother, Dornoch, who won this race last year. Journalism (7) – 9/4 with William Hill Trainer: Michael McCarthy; Jockey: Umberto Rispoli: Outstayed by Sovereignty, who challenged from further back, when runner-up in 1m 2f Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. Most recently overcame serious trouble in running to win the 1m 1½f Preakness Stakes at Pimlico, getting up late. The Derby winner and third come into this without having had a run in between, so may be fresher than him, but this colt looks top class. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Baeza (6) – 7/2 with William Hill Trainer: John Shirreffs; Jockey: Flavien Prat: Half-brother to last year's winner Dornoch, as well as 2023 Kentucky Derby hero Mage. Big May foal who's still finding his way. Met traffic at a crucial point in the Derby at Churchill Downs, before keeping on for third, and he was ahead of the first two soon after the line (likewise when second to Journalism in April's Santa Anita Derby). Trained for this race since and looks made for it. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rodriguez (3) – 10/1 with William Hill Trainer: Bob Baffert; Jockey: Mike Smith: Late-May foal who won the 1m 1f Grade 2 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on his first start without blinkers. Forced to miss the Kentucky Derby and Preakness with a foot issue. Had an easy lead from the inside stall at Aqueduct, but may now face early competition up front from Crudo. His sire improved through his three-year-old season for the same connections. ⭐⭐⭐ Hill Road (1) – 14/1 with William Hill Trainer: Chad Brown; Jockey: Irad Ortiz: Former Irish runner who stayed on for third in last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Del Mar on his dirt debut. Has had an interrupted schedule this season but shaped well on both starts, most recently winning a Grade 3 race over 1m 1f at Aqueduct. This is a much tougher assignment but the stamina test will suit him. ⭐⭐⭐ Crudo (5) – 20/1 with William Hill Trainer: Todd Pletcher; Jockey: John Velazquez: Has won his last two starts over 7f and 1m ½f from the front by big margins, most recently a minor stakes race on the Preakness undercard at Pimlico, but has a lot to find on the figures. ⭐ Heart Of Honor (8) – 33/1 with William Hill Trainer: Jamie Osborne; Jockey: Saffie Osborne: British-trained runner who was a non-threatening fifth after blowing the start in the Preakness at Pimlico. Might do better now, but doesn't look fast enough to seriously challenge. ⭐ Uncaged (4) – 100/1 with William Hill Trainer: Todd Pletcher; Jockey: Luis Saez: Not remotely good enough on the evidence of his four starts to date, but has won both his starts on wet tracks, so presumably his respected connections think he can be competitive if the rain arrives. (His dam was a Grade 3 winner on a wet track.) ⭐ Odds courtesy of William Hill and correct at time of writing. Royal Ascot is less than two away. Find the best Royal Ascot free bets and betting offers Last 10 Belmont Stakes winners Star ratings explained ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - confident selection ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - strong fancy ⭐⭐⭐ - fair claims ⭐⭐ - tentative choice ⭐ - minimum confidence If you want to find more odds and offers, take a look at our list of the best betting sites and free bets If you're looking for casino bonuses, we've ranked UK welcome offers here
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Streaking Nitrogen Could Achieve Millionaire Status In Saturday's Wonder Again
Streaking Nitrogen Could Achieve Millionaire Status In Saturday's Wonder Again originally appeared on Paulick Report. D.J. Stable's Kentucky homebred Nitrogen will chase millionaire status when she brings a four-race win streak into Saturday's Grade 2, $300,000 Wonder Again, a 1 1/16-mile inner turf test for sophomore fillies on Belmont Stakes Day, at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, the Medaglia d'Oro bay has found a new level this year with four wins in as many starts while running her bankroll to $981,604 through a 7-4-1-2 ledger. She graduated in style in the Listed Ginger Brew in January at Gulfstream Park and added the Grade 3 Florida Oaks in March at Tampa Bay Downs, the Grade 2 Appalachian in April at Keeneland and the Grade 2 Edgewood on May 2 at Churchill Downs. Advertisement Last out, she drew off to win by 3 1/2-lengths in the 1 1/16-mile Edgewood under returning pilot Jose Ortiz with an explosive turn-of-foot when asked. 'She's beautiful. She's big and tall. She's never been much of a workhorse so if you watched her work, you would think she was just average, but when she runs, she explodes when Jose asks her the question,' Casse said. Casse noted that Ortiz believes Nitrogen, who will exit post 6 carrying a co-field high 123 pounds, has won with plenty in the tank. 'It would appear that way. Jose certainly feels that way,' Casse said. Although she exited her 2-year-old campaign a maiden after three attempts, she demonstrated her abundant class with a three-quarter length third in the Grade 1 Natalma in September at Woodbine before closing from 12th-of-14 to finish a close third in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in November at Del Mar. Casse indicated that a good result on Saturday would propel Nitrogen to the nine-furlong Grade 1, $500,000 Belmont Oaks Invitational on July 5 during the four-day July 4 Racing Festival at Saratoga. Nitrogen, a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-placed Love to Shop, is out of the stakes-placed Uncle Mo mare Tiffany Case – a half-sister to graded stakes-winner Talk Veuve to Me. Casse also sends out Bessie Abott [post 3, Dylan Davis, 118 pounds], a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-placed Spirit And Glory, who was second to returning rival Al Jafara in her stateside debut in a Keeneland allowance for owners Gary Barber and Team Valor International. Newstead Stables' Laurelin [post 8, Kendrick Carmouche, 120 pounds], an Irish-bred chestnut daughter of Zarak, is undefeated in three starts for trainer Graham Motion. Laurelin has notched all three of her victories with recent recipient of the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award Kendrick Carmouche at the helm at Aqueduct Racetrack, scoring on debut in October traveling 1 1/16-miles. She followed with a victory in the Tepin in November by a half-length over New York-bred Five G, who subsequently won the Cash Run at Gulfstream and later the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks. Last out, in her April 27 seasonal debut, Laurelin posted a game neck victory over pacesetting returning rival Opulent Restraint in the one-mile Listed Memories of Silver with another returning rival, Virgin Colada, in third. There, she stalked Opulent Restraint through splits of 23.11, 48.60 and 1:14.05. Into the final turn, Carmouche tipped Laurelin to the outside of Opulent Restraint as a retreating Burner Account drifted in and caused Italian Soiree to steady and bump with the favored Virgin Colada, who had her rally from last stymied. Opulent Restraint dug in along the rail inside the eighth pole, but Laurelin would not be denied the narrow score in a final time of 1:38.68. 'You can't fault her record, that's for sure. She's done nothing wrong and impressed me every time she's run—particularly last time,' Motion said. 'We have liked her a lot since the day she came to us and she has always been professional. I don't think I've been surprised by any of her races.' Bred in Ireland by M.H. Dixon and Mount Coote Estates, Laurelin was a $169,488 purchase from Book 1 of the 2023 Goffs Orby Yearling Sale and is out of the winning Cape Cross mare Bari, making her a half-sister to Irish stakes-winner Maude Gonne Spirit. Advertisement Five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown will send out a formidable trio in Opulent Restraint [post 5, Irad Ortiz, Jr., 120 pounds], Virgin Colada [post 4, Joel Rosario, 118 pounds] and Al Jafara [post 1, Flavien Prat, 118 pounds] as he looks for a record-extending seventh win in this event following past success with Lady Eli [2015], New Money Honey [2017], Cambier Parc [2019], Consumer Spending [2022], Prerequisite [2023] and Segesta [2024]. Stephanie Seymour Brant's Opulent Restraint, by Dubawi, captured the Listed Chelsey Flower by a nose traveling 1 1/16-miles in October at Belmont at the Big A. She was a 5 1/4-length fourth to Nitrogen in the Florida Oaks in her seasonal debut ahead of her game Memories of Silver try. 'A nice filly. Headstrong, but solid,' Brown said, as he pursues a fourth consecutive Wonder Again. Opulent Restraint is out of the multiple graded stakes-winning dam Significant Form was second in this event in 2018 for the same connections. Resolute Racing's Virgin Colada, by More Than Ready, graduated at first asking in July at the Spa with a rallying half-length score. She was subsequently second in both the Listed P. G. Johnson at Saratoga and Grade 2 Miss Grillo at Belmont at the Big A before a troubled off-the-board effort in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in November at Del Mar. She will look to get a clean run after traffic trouble last out in her seasonal debut in the Memories of Silver. 'She had a lot of trouble turning for home,' Brown said. Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb and Richard Schermerhorn's Al Jafara was a stylish winner of her stateside debut, closing from last-of-12 and seven lengths off the pace to win the aforementioned 1 1/16-mile allowance on April 12 over good Keeneland turf by 1 3/4-lengths over returning rival Bessie Abott. 'She was kind of a little further behind than I thought she would be, but she sure kicked on Keeneland's turf. Hopefully, she takes to the Saratoga turf,' Brown said. The Pinatubo chestnut made her first two starts in France for trainer Hedi Ghabri, including a maiden win at second asking in September traveling nine furlongs at Chantilly. The $270,611 purchase from the Arqana Saint-Cloud sale is out of the Fastnet Rock mare Predawn, a full-sister to Group 1-winner Qualify and Group 2-placed Shogun. KatieRich Stables' May Day Ready [post 2, Frankie Dettori, 123 pounds] won the Grade 2 Jessamine last year at Keeneland en route to a runner-up effort in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar. Trained by Joe Lee, the Tapit bay completed her campaign with an off-the-board effort in the Group 1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies at Kyoto in Japan. May Day Ready has worked steadily over the Keeneland dirt for her seasonal debut, including a half-mile breeze in 48.80 on May 25. The $325,000 purchase at the OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training is out of the Group 3-winning More Than Ready mare Nemoralia, who was second in the 2015 Grade 1 Frizette and third in the 2015 Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Advertisement A talented group also includes trainer Rusty Arnold's recent maiden winner Love You Anyway [post 7, Luis Saez, 118 pounds], a $450,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase for Bregman Family Racing out of the Grade 3 winning Quality Road mare Princess La Quinta. The Wonder Again is slated as Race 6 on Saturday's 14-race card, headlined by the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets in Race 13. Other Grade 1 action includes the Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan Handicap [Race 8] – a 'Win and You're In' for the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile; the Jaipur [Race 9], a 'Win and You're In' for the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint; the Woody Stephens presented by Mohegan Sun [Race 11], and Resorts World Casino Manhattan [Race 12]. The stacked card adds the Grade 3 True North [Race 7] and the Grade 3 Pennine Ridge [Race 10]. First post is 10:45 a.m. and admission gates will open to the public at 9 a.m. This story was originally reported by Paulick Report on Jun 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
New York Times
10 hours ago
- Business
- New York Times
2025 Belmont Stakes power rankings: How Journalism, Sovereignty and the field stack up
The 157th running of the Belmont Stakes takes off on Saturday night at Saratoga Race Course. While any horse in the field has a chance to cross first, this year's Belmont odds are led by the two horses that split the Kentucky Derby and Preakness: Sovereignty and Journalism. Journalism was the Derby runner-up. Advertisement The decision of Sovereignty's trainer, Bill Mott, not to run the Derby winner in the Preakness ended the potential for a 2025 Triple Crown. But, with a win, either horse could at least secure two of horse racing's most coveted jewels. Journalism's stunning come-from-behind win in the Preakness reminded many casual fans that, even without Triple-Crown stakes, each leg of the endeavor is worth getting excited about. And what better way to whet our appetite than a good old-fashioned power ranking? This list will be based solely on the thoroughbreds' past performances and will not take odds into consideration. To help summarize their performances, each horse will be given an average score using a 10-5-3-2-1 scoring system for places. (A first-place finish gets 10, a second-place finish gets 5, etc.) We'll add up their points and divide by the number of races in order to get the average. Horses that raced in the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes will receive a 3x boost for those races. Without further ado, here are our rankings: Career points per race: 10.33 Races in 2025: 3 Result on last start: Kentucky Derby, May 3 (won) If this list were based purely on the points, Sovereignty would've been No. 2. But he gets the top spot for three reasons. First, he beat Journalism in the Kentucky Derby — on a muddy track to boot. This year's Belmont Stakes will be the same length as the Derby, so there's some comparison there. Second, his scheduled rider is Junior Alvarado. Alvarado jockeyed Sovereignty in two of his three races as a 3-year-old, and those were both first-place finishes. Third, when looking at the race results, it doesn't seem to matter how he starts. Here's where he was in his three 3-year-old races at the three-quarter pole: 17th out of 19, fifth out of 10 and sixth out of six. He finished first, second and first in those races, respectively. He ruled the front stretch! 👑 Watch Sovereignty and Junior Alvarado win the 151st Kentucky Derby ⤵️ — Kentucky Derby (@KentuckyDerby) May 3, 2025 Career points per race: 12.57 Races in 2025: 4 Result on last start: Preakness Stakes, May 17 (won) The Preakness champ has raced seven times and won five of those races. He finished second to Sovereignty at the Kentucky Derby and third in his very first race as a 2-year-old. His race results prove he's got speed. Just take a look at the gear he found to come back and win the Preakness. Incredible recovery from Journalism to win the Preakness Stakes! — Kentucky Derby (@KentuckyDerby) May 17, 2025 Career points per race: 6.6 Races in 2025: 4 Result on last start: Wood Memorial Stakes, April 5 (won) Rodriguez was scratched from both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness due to a foot injury. But based on the results of his five career starts, he deserves this spot in the rankings. He owns two first-place finishes, beating Baeza (third in the Derby) in one and Grande (scratched from the Derby) in another. Advertisement He has two second-place finishes, one of which saw him come up short to Citizen Bull (who led the field for a majority of the Kentucky Derby). His worst finish was third in a race that was won by Preakness champ, Journalism. It's worth noting that his jockey in the most recent win, and his last race, was Mike Smith, who's also scheduled to be his jockey in the Belmont. Career points per race: 7.3 Races in 2025: 3 Result on last start: Sir Barton Stakes, May 17 (won) Crudo has raced three times, all as a 3-year-old, and won twice. In both of those victories, he led wire-to-wire. His worst finish, fourth place, came in his first race. Despite having a higher points average than Rodriguez, he drops a spot in the rankings as Rodriguez has slightly tougher competition with Triple Crown participants on his rivalry resume. It's all (4) Crudo in race 2! (2) Dixie Devil checks in second, (1) Night Agent takes third. — Keeneland Racing (@keenelandracing) April 19, 2025 Points per race: 5.8 Races in 2025: 4 Result on last start: Kentucky Derby, May 3 (third) It wouldn't be hard to make the case that Baeza should be ranked higher. In his most recent starts, the Kentucky Derby and the Santa Anita Derby, he finished just behind Journalism both times — third and second, respectively. Putting it another way, he's only finished behind the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winners his last two times out. He has raced four times this year (five in all). He owns one win and, aside from his previously mentioned derby performances, has a second-place finish to fellow Belmont participant Rodriguez. Points per race: 6.43 Races in 2025: 5 Result on last start: Preakness Stakes, May 17 (fifth) Heart of Honor made his U.S. debut at the Preakness with a fifth-place finish. Prior to that, he raced four times as a 3-year-old, winning once and finishing second three times. However, in two of those second-place finishes, he came up short by just a nose. One of those near wins was in the UAE Derby, where he was bested by Kentucky Derby participant Admire Daytona. Absolute thriller! 🙃 HEART OF HONOR lunged late in the @Jumeirah UAE Derby but 𝐀𝐃𝐌𝐈𝐑𝐄 𝐃𝐀𝐘𝐓𝐎𝐍𝐀 takes the spoils for 🇯🇵#DWC25 | @emirates — Dubai Racing Club (@RacingDubai) April 5, 2025 Had he been able to pull out those victories, he'd likely have been slotted higher in these rankings. Points per race: 5.2 average Races in 2025: 2 Result on last start: Peter Pan Stakes, May 10 (won) This colt has raced five times in all. He's won twice, finished third two times and seventh once. He's only raced twice this year, but claims this spot in our rankings because his most recent start was a win over a field that included fellow Belmont contestant Uncaged. What a finish! HILL ROAD comes flying late to earn his first stakes win in the Grade 3 Peter Pan Stakes with Flavien Prat aboard for trainer Chad Brown! — NYRA (🗽) (@TheNYRA) May 10, 2025 Points per race: 5.5 Races in 2025: 3 Result on last start: Peter Pan Stakes, May 10 (sixth) Uncaged owns two wins in his four career races. It's worth noting that both of those victories came on muddy tracks. His other finishes were fourth and sixth. (Photo of Sovereignty and Journalism: Grace Bradley / Getty Images)
Washington Post
a day ago
- Business
- Washington Post
Belmont Stakes odds, post positions, favorites and analysis
The 157th Belmont Stakes is Saturday night at Saratoga Race Course, the second consecutive year the race will be staged in Upstate New York because of renovations at Belmont Park, the usual host. This year's race covers 1¼ miles, shorter than Belmont's traditional 1½, and offers a $2 million purse. The field has a compelling mix of contenders, including Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty, who returns after skipping the Preakness Stakes, and Preakness victor Journalism, each aiming to secure two legs of the Triple Crown. Other notable entrants are Hill Road, fresh off a win in the Peter Pan Stakes, and international competitor Heart of Honor, who seeks to make his mark on U.S. soil after mostly racing in Dubai.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'I Liked What I Saw': Peter Pan Winner Hill Road Tunes Up For Belmont
Amo Racing USA's Hill Road completed his first work on Saturday toward the $2-million Belmont Stakes (G1) on June 7 at Saratoga Race Course. Trained by Chad Brown, the Quality Road bay covered a half-mile in 48.75 seconds to the inside of Lordship over the Belmont Park dirt training track. It was Hill Road's first breeze back since a closing three-quarter-length score in the nine-furlong Peter Pan (G3) on May 10 at Belmont at the Big A. Advertisement 'He worked super, I'm really pleased with him,' said Brown. 'He had a nice gallop-out. He is coming along really well. He came out of his last race really well. I put this horse Lordship on the outside of him, they were a good match, they galloped out strong. They are two endurance-type horses that are kind of stayers. 'I just wanted a steady work but with a strong gallop-out. These are staying horses that the best part of their works and races will be the late stages, I liked what I saw around the turn galloping out. He is very fit now, Hill Road,' Brown continued. 'He is in a good part of his form cycle. I'm just looking to maintain where I'm at with that horse.' Hill Road improved from a pair of thirds in his two previous stateside outings, finishing 4 3/4 lengths back of Citizen Bull in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile in November at Del Mar for trainer Adrian Murray before being transferred to Brown and finishing 6 1/4 lengths behind Owen Almighty in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby on March 8. Hill Road looks to join Counterpoint [1951], High Gun [1954], Gallant Man [1957], Cavan [1958], Coastal [1979], Danzig Connection [1986], A.P. Indy [1992], Tonalist [2014], and Arcangelo [2023] as Peter Pan winners to subsequently score in the Belmont Stakes. Bred in Kentucky by Lynch Bages LTD and Camas Park Stud, Hill Road was a $350,000 purchase at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and is out of the winning Lemon Drop Kid mare Exotic Notion, a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-winning multimillionaire and prominent sire City of Light.
