The Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga is much more than the 157th running of the Belmont Stakes (G1), much to the delight of horseplayers and racing fans.
The five-day racing extravaganza opens June 4 at iconic Saratoga Race Course for the second year in a row, as a new Belmont Park is under construction.
And while the Belmont Stakes is the main attraction on June 7, the undercard features four other Grade 1 races – the Metropolitan Mile (aka the Met Mile), the Woody Stephens Stakes, the Manhattan Stakes, and the Jaipur Stakes.
The June 4-7 festival includes 27 stakes races with purses totaling $11,275,000.
He’s 3-for-3 at the Spa, and it looks and sounds like Fierceness is ready to make it four in a row when he takes on a formidable field in the $1 Met Mile on Belmont Stakes Day.
The 4-year-old colt, co-owned by Mike Repole, worked 4 furlongs in :49.74 seconds in company on Friday (May 30) at the Spa’s Oklahoma training track. It was his third work since his victory in the Alysheba Stakes (G2) on May 2 at Churchill Downs.
Work of the Day from #Saratoga—Fierceness (Outside) and Tuscan Sky worked 4 Furlongs in 49.74 on May 30th, 2025, for trainer @PletcherRacing. pic.twitter.com/mz8pRA50Kf
— 1/ST TV (@Watch1ST) May 30, 2025
“I thought it was great. He’s a very impressive horse to watch breeze and it seems like he does everything so effortless,” trainer Todd Pletcher said of his 2023 2-year-old champion. “He shipped in, and everything has gone according to plan. We got in three breezes and we’re just trying to keep him in as good of shape as he was going into the Alysheba.”
Fierceness won at Saratoga in his career debut in 2023, and last year won the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) and the Travers Stakes (G1) at the Spa.
The Met Mile winner earns a berth in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) later in the year.
Also expected to run in the Met Mile are 2023 BC Classic (G1) winner White Abarrio, Godolphin Mile (G2) winner Raging Torrent, and the steadily improving Just a Touch.
With a small field likely for the Belmont Stakes on Saturday (June 7), co-owner Mike Repole posted on social media that he’s considering starting two-time winner Uncaged in the final leg of the Triple Crown.
“Repole Nation what do you think,” Repole said in his post on X. “Could be a 6 horse field.”
Repole Nation what do you think??? 🤷♂️
Could be a 6 horse field.
5 vet scratches away from winning the Belmont Stakes!!!!! 😂
Should we run Uncaged in the Belmont Stakes??? https://t.co/T8i8IL7agm
— Repole Stable (@RepoleStable) May 30, 2025
Uncaged, trained by Todd Pletcher, finished sixth in the Peter Pan Stakes (G3) on May 10 at Aqueduct.
Crudo, also trained by Pletcher, has not been ruled out of the Belmont, the trainer said Friday.
Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty is the expected Belmont favorite. The status of Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Journalism for the race has yet to be announced.
The post-position draw and morning-line odds will be announced on Monday (June 2).
The New York Racing Association (NYRA) and the state’s gaming commission on Friday (May 30) placed Barn 85 at Saratoga under a 14-day precautionary quarantine due to a positive case of strangles in that barn.
Strangles is a contagious bacterial infection that generally affects a horse’s respiratory system and causes symptoms similar to those of strep throat in humans. When properly diagnosed and treated, strangles is not considered a life-threatening infection and most horses recover fully.
Barn 85 holds horses trained by Jeremiah Englehart and Jorge Abreu.
During the initial quarantine period, horses from the barn will not be allowed to enter races or train among the general horse population. Afebrile/asymptomatic horses stabled in Barn 85 will have isolated training hours at the Oklahoma training track.
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.
