Met Mile 2026: Odds and analysis for the Nysos-led field

Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Metropolitan Handicap drew a field of seven older dirt males. Once again in 2026, the Belmont Stakes racing festival will be run at Saratoga as the rebuilding of Belmont Park is completed. The one-mile handicap will start from the Wilson Chute, which is midway in the first turn. In addition to purse money, the winner gets an entry in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile in November at Keeneland.

The field in the Met Mile is led by four Grade 1 winners in Nysos, Antiquarian, Saudi Crown and Journalism. Between them they have 27 wins and earnings of $13.95 million. Only two of the seven horses in the field had a victory in their most recent start.

Here is a full-field analysis for the Met Mile with the official track morning-line odds. Scheduled as race 11 of 14, post time is set for 5:32 p.m. EDT.

1. Nysos, 9-5. Nyquist – Bob Baffert / Flavien Prat – 9: 7-2-0 - $4,738,500. Nysos has won six graded stakes, including the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile last year at Del Mar when he beat his stablemate Citizen Bull by a head. All seven of his victories were in California. His only losses were a pair of second-place finishes in the Churchill Downs (G1) in his first start after a 14-month layoff last year and in the Saudi Cup (G1) behind Forever Young in February. Bob Baffert has won the Met Mile with National Treasure and Mor Spirit. Top pick.

2. Vibe, 15-1. Into Mischief – Todd Pletcher / Luis Saez – 4: 3-0-0 - $147,692. Vibe debuted in March 2025 at Gulfstream Park as a 3-year-old who sold for $3 million as a Keeneland yearling and finished far back as an even-money favorite. He came right back to get his maiden win by almost 10 lengths going a one-turn mile. After a year layoff, the son of Into Mischief came back at that Florida track in March to win an allowance. Last seen Vibe was an allowance winner at Churchill on the Kentucky Derby undercard by three lengths at 7-1. He was entered to run in the Blame (G3) at Churchill Downs last Saturday but opted to run in the Met Mile. Todd Pletcher won the Met Mile in 2014 with Palace Malice and Quality Road in 2010. Tough Grade 1 challenge.

3. Antiquarian, 6-1. Preservationist – Todd Pletcher / John Velazquez – 11: 5-3-0 - $1,110,350. Antiquarian returned last month to make his first start as a 5-year-old and won the Westchester (G3) by almost six lengths after a series of impressive workouts in Florida. He now has victories at distances from seven furlongs in a Gulfstream Park allowance to 1 1/4 miles in last year’s Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1). If you draw a line through the Breeders’ Cup Classic last year, then Antiquarian was first or second in his prior five races. Win contender.

4. Saudi Crown, 8-1. Always Dreaming – Brad Cox / Irad Ortiz Jr. – 18: 9-3-1 - $3,686,508. Saudi Crown won the Pennsylvania Derby (G1) to become a stakes winner in 2023. The 6-year-old ran at 13 tracks with victories at six of them. He also won three Grade 3 stakes and three listed stakes. This year he returned from a nine-month layoff to win a handicap at Oaklawn with a front-end trip and then the Commonwealth (G3) at Keeneland after pressing the pace. He was a heavy favorite in his last five races and was second in the Jim Dandy (G2) in his only start at Saratoga. Use underneath.

5. Rated By Merit, 10-1. Battalion Runner – Chad Brown / Dylan Davis – 6: 5-0-0 - $486,750. Rated By Merit began his career with five wins in a row in 2024 at Gulfstream. He ran only once last year, with a front-end victory in the Discovery at Aqueduct going a mile. The St. Elias Stable runner came back from a six-month layoff in the Carter (G2), where he could not get to the lead and finished fourth. He will be the highest price of his career by far as he tries a Grade 1 for the first time. Prefer others.  

6. Knightsbridge, 7-2. Nyquist – Bill Mott / Junior Alvarado – 9: 6-1-1 - $513,155. Knightsbridge was a three-time Grade 3 winner this winter at Gulfstream Park with the Mr. Prospector in December, the Fred Hooper in January and the Gulfstream Park Mile in February. Each time he raced on or near the lead and was an odds-on favorite, and his victories were by a combined margin of more than 20 lengths. Last seen, Knightsbridge faded to sixth in the Churchill Downs as the favorite. Bill Mott had a Metropolitan victory with Cody’s Wish in 2023. Prefer others.

7. Journalism, 5-2. Curlin – Michael McCarthy / Jose Ortiz – 12: 6-3-2 - $4,470,755. Journalism had a throwback campaign last year with eight starts and six wins, including the Preakness and the Haskell (G1), along with second-place finishes in the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont. After a fourth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, he got a well-deserved five-month break from racing. In his first start of 2026 in the Oaklawn Handicap (G2), he was factious in the gate and then was keen to be right up on the early pace and was third behind White Abarrio and Sovereignty. Win contender.

Summary: The Met Mile drew a distinguished field of seven horses from the older male handicap division with established Grade 1 winners and a fast, lightly raced miler who sold for $3 million.

Nysos drew the rail for Saturday as he comes back from a four-month layoff after finishing second in the Saudi Cup (G1) behind Forever Young going nine furlongs. On that day he had the lead in the field of 13 and missed by a length to the horse who many people think is the best dirt runner in the world. 

Nysos is listed as the 9-5 favorite, and regardless of the odds he will be very hard to beat as he moves back to the mile distance where he won both of his starts, including the Breeders’ Cup Mile last year. Antiquarian and Journalism will be worthy challengers, but Nysos is the top pick in the Met Mile.