For anyone who bet on horse racing, Raging Torrent had to be your hunch wager on rain-soaked Belmont Stakes Day at Saratoga Race Course.
Sent to the lead from the start, Raging Torrent thrived over a sloppy track and upset 3-4 favorite Fierceness in the $1 million Metropolitan Handicap (G1) on Saturday.
Fierceness, winner of the Alysheba Stakes (G2) in his 4-year-old debut for his third win in his last four races, pulled nearly even with Raging Torrent ($18 on a $2 bet) in the stretch, but jockey Frankie Dettori urged on his 4-year-old on and won by 2 ½ lengths.
White Abarrio, who also had three wins in his last four starts, made a late run but was never in contention and finished fourth. Just a Touch was third. Castle Chaos was fifth,
Winning time for the mile was 1:35.89 over a sloppy/sealed track.
We’re closing in on the 157th Belmont Stakes (G1). The rain has stopped, and the track is packed with racing fans who cheered Dettori after his famous flying dismount in the winner’s circle following the Met Mile.
In updated Belmont Stakes odds, Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Journalism is now the 2-1 favorite, and Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Sovereignty and Derby third-place finisher Baeza are both at 3-1.
Rodriguez is 6-1, with Crudo 10-1, Hill Road is 12-1, Uncaged is 16-1, and Heart of Honor is 17-1.
The Met Mile is part of the Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In’’ series, and California-based trainer Doug O’Neill is looking forward to running his 4-year-old in the BC Dirt Mile back home at Del Mar on Nov. 1.
“He’s such a wonderful horse. Horses like him make everyone look so much smarter,’’ O’Neill said of his Raging Torrent, who won the Godolphin Mile (2) in Dubai in April and has won seven of 14 starts. “Just an amazing horse.”
Fierceness, the 2-year-old champion in 2023 and winner of the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) and the Travers Stakes (G1) last year at the Spa, ran well in the slop but was not able to stage a winning move in the stretch.
“That was a tough one,’’ co-owner Mike Repole said. “The tracking was drying, and it was just a merry-go-round. They were first, second, third, fourth, and it ended that way. He’s a great horse and he’ll be back in the Whitney (Aug. 2 at the Spa).”
The past three Met Mile winners went on to be voted champions: National Treasure in 2024 (Older Male), Cody’s Wish in 2023 (Horse of the Year, Older Male), and Flightline in 2022 (Horse of the Year, Older Male).
