Belmont Stakes: 8 horses are entered ahead of Monday draw

Led by classic winners Sovereignty and Journalism, eight horses were entered Sunday for next weekend’s running of Belmont Stakes 2025 at Saratoga.

Entries and jockey assignments were announced during the draw for the rest of Saturday’s card. Post positions for the $2 million Belmont will be determined Monday during a 5 p.m. EDT program at Universal Preservation Hall in downtown Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Click here for Saratoga entries and results.

Trainer Todd Pletcher, who has won four runnings of the Belmont, made the last two commitments to the 1 1/4-mile race. Sir Barton Stakes victor Crudo for owners Bobby Flay and James Ventura and allowance winner Uncaged for Mike Repole joined six horses who had been expected entrants for a while.

Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty, the narrow 8-5 futures favorite at Caesars Sportsbook in Nevada, and Preakness victor Journalism, the 9-5 second choice, are expected to attract most of the handle this week. Sovereignty will have Júnior Alvarado in the irons as usual for trainer Bill Mott. Umberto Rispoli keeps the assignment from Michael McCarthy on Journalism.

Baeza, whose third-place Kentucky Derby finish happened only after late defections, was shipped from California this week to join the Belmont field. A maiden winner who finished second for trainer John Shirreffs in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby, Baeza will be ridden by Flavien Prat.

Rodríguez, also based at Santa Anita, will race for the first time since he won nearly two months ago in the Wood Memorial (G2) at Aqueduct. Trainer Bob Baffert said a quarter crack contributed to the foot problems that kept Rodríguez kept him out of the Derby and Preakness. Mike Smith has the riding assignment.

Coming off a fifth-place Preakness finish, Meydan-based, England-trained Heart of Honor traveled directly from Baltimore to New York to prepare for the Belmont. Saffie Osborne retains the ride for trainer Jamie Osborne, her father.

Hill Road takes his first crack at the 2025 classics after winning last month at Aqueduct in the Peter Pan (G3), the traditional prep for the Belmont. Formerly trained in England by Adrian Murray, the deep closer makes his third start for trainer Chad Brown with jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. taking over for Prat.

Usually run at 1 1/2 miles at Belmont Park, which is being rebuilt, the race was cut to 10 furlongs to fit the configuration of Saratoga’s main track. The Belmont Stakes is scheduled to go back to Long Island in 2026 after this second run at the Spa.