The New York Racing Association stages its five-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course from Wednesday, June 3, through Sunday, June 7.
The centerpiece is the $2 million Belmont Stakes (G1), the final leg of the Triple Crown. Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Golden Tempo and runner-up Renegade, along with a handful of other Derby runners, are expected to meet again in the 1 ¼-mile Belmont on June 6.
The festival includes 25 stakes races, including 18 graded stakes and 10 Grade 1 races, with purses totaling more than $11 million.
This will be the third year the festival is held at the upstate New York track, as a new Belmont Park nears completion, with racing scheduled to begin in September. Aqueduct Racetrack, NYRA’s other downstate track, shuts down for good on June 28.
$150,000 Beverly R. Steinman (G1), 4 & up, 2 3/8 miles, hurdles, turf
$250,000 Belmont Gold Cup (G2), 4&up, 2 miles, turf
$250,000 Intercontinental (G2), 4&up, fillies/mares, 5 ½ furlongs, turf
$300,000 Pennine Ridge (G3), 3-year-olds, 1 1/16 miles, turf
$750,000 New York (G1), 4&up, fillies/mares, 1 3/16 miles, turf
$500,000 Acorn (G1), 3-year-old fillies, 1 1/8 miles
$500,000 Ogden Phipps (G1) 4&up, fillies/mares, 1 1/8 miles
$300,000 Bed o' Roses (G2, 4&up fillies/mares, 7 furlongs
$300,000 Wonder Again (G2), 3-year-old fillies, 1 1/16 miles, turf
$2 million Belmont Stakes (G1), 3-year-olds, 1¼ miles
$1 million Manhattan (G1), 4&up, 1 3/16 miles, turf
$1 million Metropolitan Handicap (G1), 3&up, 1 mile
$500,000 Woody Stephens (G1), 3-year-olds, 7 furlongs
$500,000 Just A Game (G1), 4&up fillies/mares, 1 mile, turf
$500,000 Jaipur (G1), 3&up, 5 ½ furlongs, turf
$400,000 True North (G3), 4&up, 6 1/2 furlongs
$300,000 Poker (G3), 4&up, 1 mile, turf
$200,000 Soaring Softly (G3), 3-year-old fillies, 5 1/2 furlongs, turf
Of course, the Belmont Stakes is the main event over the five-day festival, with the best storyline a rematch between Golden Tempo and Renegade. The two staged brilliant rallies in the stretch at Churchill Downs, with Golden Tempo and jockey Jose Ortiz producing a last-to-first run and then holding off Renegade and Irad Ortiz, Jr., by a neck.
Trainer Chad Brown, seeking his first Belmont win, could have three entries: Emerging Market, Growth Equity, and Ottinho. All three posted workouts on Saturday – Emerging Market at Saratoga, the other two at Belmont.
Ottinho, second in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) in his last race, has posted five workouts since. The Quality Road colt had a foot issue (a crack in the sole of his foot), but is coming along fine with a special shoe and could be a go by Belmont time.
Growth Equity, winner of the Peter Pan Stakes (G3), a stepping stone to the Belmont, has been in “great form’’ since the race, and Brown said the son of Nyquist remains a Belmont possibility.
Emerging Market, winner of the Louisiana Derby (G2), finished 10th in the Derby, but Brown was encouraged after last week’s workout.
“I’m looking at it like I always do – do these horses belong in this particular race given how they are doing training right now, where they are in their form cycles, taking out of account what else I might have running, and [looking at] what their styles are,” Brown said. “We’re talking about them individually.”
Growth Equity is considered a stalker, settling just off the pace and making his move in the later stages; Emerging Market has shown tactical speed and runs further off the pace than Growth Equity; Ottinho’s lone victory came in front-running style but seems versatile enough to run just behind the lead pack.
The Belmont Stakes undercard features five other Grade 1 races, including the $1 million Metropolitan Mile (aka the Met Mile).
Journalism, last seen finishing third in the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) behind White Abarrio and 2025 Derby winner Sovereignty on April 18 in his 4-year-old debut, is probable for the Met Mile, which could also include Grade 1 winners Antiquarian, Nysos, and Saudi Crown.
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.
