The action is underway at Saratoga, and the main track has officially been labeled sloppy and sealed, while the turf course is currently rated yielding.
Rainfall earlier in the morning prompted a wave of scratches across the undercard—most of them weather-related. If you're adjusting your Belmont Stakes betting strategy, now is the time to reassess based on real-time surface conditions and late scratches. Keep an especially close eye on how the Belmont Stakes odds react to the forecast.
Saratoga Springs forecast for June 7, 2025 by weather.com.
There are no scratches in the eight-horse field for the 2025 Belmont Stakes (G1)—a much-anticipated rainy rematch between the top three Kentucky Derby finishers: Sovereignty, Journalism, and Baeza. Post time remains scheduled for 7:04 p.m. ET. That stability could bring late movement in Belmont Stakes odds, especially as the track dries out.
Several turf races have already been shifted to the dirt due to early precipitation. Here's a quick rundown of what’s changed:
Just like that, persistent rainfall led to the postponement of Saturday’s two premier turf races ahead of the $2 million Belmont Stakes (G1).
Both the $1 million Manhattan Stakes (G1) and the $500,000 Jaipur Stakes (G1)—a Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” qualifier—have officially been pushed to Sunday at Saratoga Race Course, where rain has been falling since Friday morning. Originally, the Jaipur was set as race 9, with the Manhattan scheduled as race 12, immediately preceding the 157th Belmont Stakes, which will feature Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty and Preakness Stakes champion Journalism in a field of eight set to go 1¼ miles in the final leg of the Triple Crown.
In addition, the New York Racing Association announced that four other turf events on Saturday’s card have been moved to the main dirt track. This includes race 3, race 6 (the Wonder Again Stakes, G3), race 10 (the Pennine Ridge, G3), and race 14, an allowance optional claimer. NYRA has also released an updated wagering menu to reflect these changes:
With the first sloppy surface for the Belmont Stakes since 2011 all but guaranteed, the soggy showdown between Journalism and Sovereignty—who finished 1–2 in the Derby under similar conditions—could mirror their previous meeting on a rain-soaked track.
| Horse | Odds | Trainer | Jockey |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hill Road | 10-1 | Wayne Lukas | Irad Ortiz, Jr. |
| Sovereignty | 2-1 | Bill Mott | Junior Alvarado |
| Rodriguez | 6-1 | Bob Baffert | Mike Smith |
| Uncaged | 30-1 | Todd Pletcher | Luis Saez |
| Crudo | 15-1 | Todd Pletcher | John Velazquez |
| Baeza | 4-1 | Todd Pletcher | Flavien Prat |
| Journalism | 8-5 | Michael McCarthy | Umberto Rispoli |
| Heart of Honor (GB) | 30-1 | Jamie Osborne | Saffie Osborne |
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
