In a rematch that lived as much as its billing, Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty galloped to victory over Journalism in muddy circumstances on the 157th Belmont Stakes in Saratoga Springs, New York, on Saturday within the third leg of the Triple Crown.
Sovereignty, who entered the race with 2-to-1 odds, defeated a discipline of seven challengers.
The race marked a type of replay of the Derby. Journalism ended up in second once more and Baeza was third — the identical 1-2-3 because the Derby.
Sovereignty gained in 2 minutes, 0.69 seconds, beating Journalism by three lengths.
Jessica Hill / AP
Sovereignty, a 3-year-old bay colt, is the primary ever horse to win the Derby, skip the Preakness Stakes, after which win the Belmont. The final horse to run in an all three legs of the Triple Crown and win each the Derby and Belmont was Thunder Gulch in 1995.
Journalism had entered because the heavy favourite after profitable the Preakness. Journalism was the one horse who ran in all three legs of the Triple Crown this yr. Bob Baffert-trained Rodriguez was within the Belmont after being scratched from the Derby due to a minor foot bruise that additionally stored the colt out of the Preakness.
Sovereignty is owned by Godolphin and educated by Invoice Mott. Godolphin is the racing steady of Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Jockey Junior Alvarado, who rode Sovereignty to victory on the Derby, was additionally his mount on Saturday. Alvarado was fined $62,000 and suspended for 2 racing days in Kentucky by the state’s Board of Stewards for allegedly utilizing his driving crop an excessive amount of within the Derby. Alvarado is interesting the choice.
The Belmont came about for a second consecutive time on the historic Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York. The New York Racing Affiliation briefly relocated it there whereas Belmont Park on Lengthy Island undergoes almost half-a-billion {dollars} in renovations.
As a result of it was held at Saratoga, the Belmont was 1 1/4 miles lengthy as an alternative of the same old 1 1/2 miles, making the race often known as the Take a look at of the Champion the identical size because the Derby.
