Belmont Stakes: Journalism shortens to odds-on favorite
What appeared to be a big-money play of about $200,000 on Friday evening made Preakness winner Journalism an odds-on favorite in early betting for Belmont Stakes 2025, the final jewel of the Triple Crown on Saturday at Saratoga.
Journalism was showing at 4-5 on Friday in the all-sources win pool, which opened this week. The only horse who is set to have run in all three U.S. classics, Journalism was established as the 8-5 favorite on the morning line.
Manocchio: Belmont Stakes 2025 from 1st to last.
Baeza, who finished third last out in the Kentucky Derby, was 7-2. His program odds were set at 4-1.
Sovereignty, who won the Kentucky Derby before skipping the Preakness, was 7-2 in early betting for Saturday’s race. He had been made the second choice on the morning line at 5-1.
Rodríguez, the Grade 2 Wood Memorial winner who missed the Derby and Preakness because of foot trouble, was 8-1. His program odds were set at 6-1.
The Belmont will be run at 1 1/4 miles, the same distance as the Derby, while it is transplanted to Saratoga as Belmont Park is rebuilt. The race is scheduled for Saturday at 7:04 p.m. EDT.
| Belmont Stakes | Trainer | Jockey | Odds | ML |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Hill Road | Chad Brown | Irad Ortiz Jr. | 17-1 | 10-1 |
| 2. Sovereignty | Bill Mott | Junior Alvarado | 5-1 | 2-1 |
| 3. Rodríguez | Bob Baffert | Mike Smith | 8-1 | 6-1 |
| 4. Uncaged | Todd Pletcher | Luis Sáez | 24-1 | 30-1 |
| 5. Crudo | Todd Pletcher | John Velázquez | 16-1 | 15-1 |
| 6. Baeza | John Shirreffs | Flavien Prat | 7-2 | 4-1 |
| 7. Journalism | Michael McCarthy | Umberto Rispoli | 4-5 | 8-5 |
| 8. Heart of Honor | Jamie Osborne | Saffie Osborne | 22-1 | 30-1 |
| Win pool $1,325,555 |