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More is on the line in the June 7 Metropolitan Handicap (G1) than the $1 million purse. The prestigious middle-distance Met Mile is also known as a stallion-making race, and it regularly carries championship implications.

With Kentucky Derby (G1) dreams in the rearview mirror, 2024's 2-year-old champion male Citizen Bull is aiming to get his career back on track as he cuts back in distance in the $500,000 Woody Stephens Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course June 7.

A colt by Harry Angel bought as a weanling for just AU$1,500 turned into a dream horse for a New South Wales boutique breeder when he sold for a session-topping AU$525,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast National Yearling Sale June 3.

Fierceness, last seen setting a track record in the May 2 Alysheba Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs, the second week in a row leads the National Thoroughbred Racing Association's Top Thoroughbred Poll released June 3.

After nearly 25 years as a mainstay in Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher's operation, Maggie Sweet was ready for a new challenge. She found a rewarding but massive one with the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation.

With victories in four of his past five starts, including a clear victory in the Man o' War Stakes (G2T) May 10 at Aqueduct, LSU Stables' Far Bridge will try to continue that good form June 7 at Saratoga in the $1 million Manhattan Stakes (G1T).

With 10 career graded stakes placings, including in his last three starts, 2-1 morning-line favorite Limited Liability will try to get over the hump and into the winner's circle in the $250,000 Belmont Gold Cup (G2T) June 6 at Saratoga Race Course.

Good Cheer will try for a second straight grade 1 score and fifth straight graded stakes victory when she starts as the 1-2 favorite in the Acorn Stakes (G1) June 6. She's one of seven 3-year-old fillies entered in the 1 1/8-mile test.

Top-class sprinter Believing is set for a tilt at the King Charles III Stakes (G1) on opening day of Royal Ascot. The 5-year-old Mehmas filly will return in what is to be her final season on the track. Connections confirmed she's in foal to Frankel. 

The group of jockeys assembled to ride in this year's Belmont Stakes (G1) June 7 at Saratoga Race Course is a mix of accomplished veterans (nine Belmont wins among them) and rising talent (two riders will be making their Belmont debuts). 

The List: An Update and Review of the Top 25 General Sires List Rankings

The battle lines for the most eagerly awaited Triple Crown showdown in the last few years were set June 2 as a field of eight was announced for the $2 million Belmont Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course.

Junior Alvarado joins the June 2 episode of BloodHorse Monday to discuss Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Sovereignty and his budding rivalry with Journalism ahead of the June 7 Belmont Stakes (G1). Lance Gasaway recaps Mystik Dan's Blame Stakes (G3) win.

The estate of Virginia Kraft Payson (1930-2023), prominent Thoroughbred owner, breeder, and sports journalism pioneer, will be offered over the course of five auctions this month conducted by Bluegrass Auction, Appraisal & Realty.

The New York Racing Association today announced a selection of special wagers to be offered during the five-day 2025 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival Wednesday, June 4 through Sunday, June 8 at Saratoga Race Course.

Royal Ascot entry Miss Yechance will be sold at the Tattersalls Online June Pop-Up Sale June 12. Trained in Newmarket by Jack Morland, the 2-year-old daughter of Cotai Glory made a winning debut over five furlongs at Redcar by a length and a half.

Extreme Choice's booming popularity has shone through again after his half brother to the group 2-winning Prost equalled the record price for the Magic Millions Gold Coast National Yearling Sale June 2.

SARATIOGA SPRINGS–One thing trainer Michael McCarthy didn't have to worry about as he planned his trip to Saratoga Race Course was lodging. For his horses, anyway.

When McCarthy shipped GI Belmont Stakes favorite Journalism (Curlin) and two other stakes horses to the Spa, he knew right where they were going. That would be the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, whom McCarthy worked for as an assistant for nearly 12 years before going out on his own in 2014.

“I was a slow learner,” McCarthy said with a laugh.

Pletcher gladly opened the barn door on the Oklahoma Training Track for his friend. Besides Journalism, McCarthy has Look Forward (Bolt d'Oro), who is entered in the GI Acorn Stakes and Endlessly (Oscar Performance), who will go in the GI Manhattan Stakes. All the races are on Saturday.

“We have done this before,” Pletcher said. “When Locked (Gun Runner) went to the Santa Anita Handicap, we shipped into his barn. He has had horses ship in here other times, and I have had horses in California. We send our staff out there and his staff comes here with his horses. Makes it a lot easier on everyone.”

“I am very familiar with those surroundings,” McCarthy said of being back in Pletcher's barn. “I spent a couple seasons up here during my tenure with Todd. He has been gracious enough every time we have come to New York to be able to house us.”

Accommodations through the Spa City and beyond are pricey for the public during Belmont week, but Pletcher came up with a special rate for McCarthy's four-legged travel partners.

“Yeah,” he said. “Free!”

McCarthy is hoping for better results during this trip to Saratoga.

In the past, he has brought Grade I runners to the Spa with high expectations and left disappointed. City of Light (Quality Road) was second in the GI Forego in 2018; that was McCarthy's first horse he saddled at Saratoga as a head trainer.

He also brought Ce Ce (Elusive Quality), who was fifth in the GI Ballerina in 2022, and Clearly Unhinged (Into Mischief), second in the GI Test in 2023. According to Equibase, McCarthy has started 11 horses at Saratoga without a winner.

“Hopefully, we will find the winner's circle here, and, hopefully, it will be Saturday,” McCarthy said. “This might be the hardest place in America to win at.”

 

Baeza Has A Hall Of Fame Name

If the name of GI Belmont Stakes runner Baeza (McKinzie) sounds familiar, it is.

The colt, trained by John Shirreffs, was named in honor of Hall of Fame jockey Braulio Baeza, who won the Belmont three times during his riding career, which started in 1955 and ended in 1976.

“Of course he is,” Shirreffs said when asked if Baeza the horse was named for Baeza the jockey. “One of his owners, Lee Searing (majority owner, C R K Stable LLC), really likes jockeys. He is a jockey guy.”

Grandview Equine shares ownership in the horse.

Shirreffs is delighted that his stable star has this racing moniker. When Shirreffs was working in New York, he became friendly with Baeza, who was long retired but still wanted to be around the Thoroughbreds.

He and Shirreffs became friendly, and the former rider would walk horses for him when the trainer was spending time at Belmont Park.

“He just wanted to be involved because he loved horses,” Shirreffs said. “I really, really enjoyed my time with Braulio Baeza.”

Braulio Baeza, who is now 85 years old, had 14 mounts during his career in the Belmont. In 1963, he rode Chateaugay (Swaps) to victories in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont and was second in the Preakness.

Baeza, the horse, comes into the Belmont after finishing third –just a neck behind second-place finisher Journalism–in the Derby.

Before that, he was second in the GI Santa Anita Derby, losing to Journalism by three-quarters of a length. Shirreffs thought enough of Baeza to enter him in the Santa Anita Derby after he broke his maiden in his third try.

He returned to California after the Kentucky Derby and shipped to Saratoga last week. There was not much talk about running him in the GI Preakness.

“I skipped the Preakness mostly because he is a May 13 foal,” Shirreffs said. “He is very young, and I trained him very hard for the Santa Anita Derby and the Kentucky Derby was a big, emotional race. Bringing him back in two weeks (for the Preakness) would have been asking too much for a somewhat immature, lightly raced horse.”

 

Brown Coming In Under The Radar This Time

A year ago, trainer Chad Brown had the favorite for the GI Belmont Stakes in 'TDN Rising Star' Sierra Leone (Gun Runner). He finished third.

Brown is back for this year's Belmont, but 'TDN Rising Star' Hill Road (Quality Road) isn't attracting the same kind of attention that Sierra Leone did.

Hill Road | Sarah Andrew

The winner of the GIII Peter Pan Stakes, who is owned by Amo Racing USA, Hill Road is 10-1 on the Belmont morning line, the fifth choice in the field of eight.

Brown isn't deterred by that.

He saw enough talent in Hill Road's rallying three-quarters of a length victory in the 11/8-mile Peter Pan on May 10 to move forward.

“I am going to try [for the upset],” Brown said. “I had the favorite last year, and it didn't work.”

Hill Road began his career on the turf for trainer Adrian Murray in Ireland, and, after two starts, came to the United States and switched to dirt in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. After Hill Road finished third, he came to Brown, a five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer.

Following a third-place finish in the GIII Tampa Bay Derby, Brown hoped to run the colt in the GII Wood Memorial. A fever scrapped that plan and bounced him off the GI Kentucky Derby trail.

Now, here he is.

“Every month that went by, he continued to move forward and get stronger and get fitter,” Brown said. “Right now, I think he is peaking.”

When Brown first started working with Hill Road, one thing he noticed was the horse did not change leads.

“That has always been him,” Brown said. “He moves forward pretty good.”

It happened in the Peter Pan, but Hill Road still got the job done with a strong kick.

With the Belmont being run at 1 1/4 miles at Saratoga, Brown is confident that could be right in Hill Road's wheelhouse.

“He galloped out big [in the Peter Pan],” Brown said. “The thing that gives me the most hope with this horse is the distance of the race. But he is not going to have an easier race because he can get the distance. Many in this race can.”

The last Peter Pan winner to come back and take the Belmont was Arcangelo (Arrogate), who won in 2023 at Belmont Park at 1 1/2 miles.

Antiquarian (Preservationist), the 2024 Peter Pan winner, finished fifth in last year's Belmont.

 

The post Belmont Stakes Notebook: McCarthy Feels Right at Home in Pletcher’s Barn appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Sterling Silver, dominating winner of last year’s Johnstone Mile Handicap at Saratoga Race Course, headlines star-studded group of New York-breds running Wednesday on New York Showcase Day. Coglianese Photo.

The 2025 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival kicks off in style Wednesday at Saratoga Race Course with New York-breds in the spotlight. New York Showcase Day leads off the five-day stand at the Spa, along with the Grade 1 Beverly Steinman Handicap over jumps.

The Showcase Day portion of the card features nine races for New York-breds, including six stakes worth $200,000 apiece.

In partnership with New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc., Opening Day of the Belmont Festival will tip off with an I Love NY-Breds baseball cap giveaway. The first 10,000 fans to enter with paid admission will receive a free, white baseball cap featuring the NYTB and 2025 Belmont Stakes logos in tribute to the New York-bred industry.

Admission gates open at 11 a.m. with first post scheduled for 12:40 p.m.

The Saratoga Special, set for its 25th season this summer, will be on the scene to capture all the action and present a new Showcase Special for the first of two signature days for New York-breds this year at the Spa. Enjoy.

Worth Repeating
“It’s a tremendous opportunity to kick off this year’s Belmont Stakes Racing Festival with a New York Showcase Day card to highlight the quality of competitive racehorses produced in the Empire State when the racing world and media will be focused on Saratoga. New York-breds compete and win at every level around the world. Featuring a card with six state-bred stakes races and lucrative purses at a historic venue such as Saratoga Race Course shows why it pays to breed and race in New York.”
New York Thoroughbred Breeders Executive Director Najja Thompson.

By the Numbers
1: New York-bred champion from the 2024 season entered on Showcase Day – Bank Frenzy, who runs in the $200,000 Commentator Stakes.

5: Entries for trainer Jimmy Ferraro on Showcase Day, the most for any conditioner. Ferraro’s runners include Mama’s Gold in the $200,000 Commentator and Howling Wind in the $200,000 Bouwerie.

5: Entries apiece for McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds’ resident stallions Central Banker and Solomini

6: Number of runners out of Freud mares entered Wednesday.

6: Stakes on Wednesday’s Showcase Day card.

8: Finalists for New York-bred championship honors in 2024 entered on Wednesday’s card – Accelerating, Antonio of Venice, Bank Frenzy, Landed, Mama’s Gold, Silver Skillet and Sterling Silver.

27: Total stakes run during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.

62: Trainers with runners entered on Showcase Day.

100: Entries on Wednesday’s card, including the seven in the Grade 1 Beverly Steinman.

$784,428: Earnings for Commentator entrant General Banker, the most of any New York-bred male on the card.

$1,046,051: Earnings for Critical Eye entrant Sterling Silver, the most of any New York-bred on the card.

$1,200,000: Purses for the six stakes.

$11,275,000: Purses for the 27 stakes at the Festival.

As for the races …
Race 1. Beverly R. Steinman Hudle Handicap (G1). $150,000, 4-year-olds and up, 2 3/8 miles over national fences. Post time 12:40 p.m. No New York-breds in the field but a competitive field of seven to kick off the day.

Mo Plex, winner of the Grade 3 Sanford last summer at Saratoga, runs in Wednesday’s Mike Lee Stakes. Coglianese Photo.

Race 2. Mike Lee Stakes. $200,000, 3-year-olds, 7 furlongs. Post time 1:13. Seven line up for the first stakes of the Showcase Day portion of the card, including graded stakes winner Mo Plex, stakes winners Soontobeking and Prince Valiant and one-time classics hopeful Calling Card.

Race 3. Maiden special weight. $90,000, 3-year-olds and up, fillies and mares, 5 1/2 furlongs, turf. Post time 1:46. Miss Im Pulsive moves to the grass after solid debut sprinting on the dirt last time out for Amelia Green. Willful Mama, a daughter of War of Will out of 2024 New York Broodmare of the Year In Spite of Mama, shortens up in her fourth start on the grass for owner-breeder Buck Butler and trainer Mike Maker.

Race 4. Commentator Stakes. $200,000, 3-year-olds and up, 1 1/8 miles. Post time 2:19. Drake’s Passage won last year’s renewal for the late Christophe Clement and will become Miguel Clement’s first New York starter in this year’s renewal. He prepped for this with a fifth in a 1-mile open optional-claimer last month at Aqueduct. Bank Frenzy looms large from the outside. Last year’s champion older dirt male looks to bounce back from fourth in Grade 3 Westchester and rattling off four straight wins in late 2024 and early 2025.

Race 5. Allowance. $95,000, 3-year-olds and up, 1 1/16 miles, turf. Post time 2:51. Sounds Like a Plan didn’t miss by much last time against open company in the Woodhaven Stakes. Son of Twirling Candy drops back to allowance ranks for Horacio De Paz and meets the likes of Pay the Juice, Leon Blue, The Paddock Pastor and Courtly Banker.

Bernieandtherose looks to extend win streak to five in Wednesday’s Bouwerie Stakes. Coglianese Photo.

Race 6. Bouwerie Stakes. $200,000, 3-year-olds, fillies, 7 furlongs. Post time 3:26. Bernieandtherose looks to keep win streak intact for owners and breeders Robert Rosenthal and Brad Bernstein and trainer Dominick Schettino. She’s won four straight, including back-to-back stakes. Accelerating, winner of last year’s Seeking the Ante and disappointing in her two tires this spring at Oaklawn, returns to the Empire State and looms a threat while Charlotte’s Heart switches to the main track for the first time.

Race 7. Kingston Stakes. $200,000, 4-year-olds and up, 1 1/16 miles, turf. Post time 4:02. The Freud gelding Schlomo makes his stakes debut off back-to-back wins for trainer Bill Mott and takes on field of experienced runners led by Hush of a Storm, Born Dancer, Clear Conscience, Be of Courage and Itsallcomintogetha.

Race 8. Critical Eye Stakes. $200,000, 3-year-olds and up, fillies and mares, 1 1/8 miles. Post time 4:37. Back to the main track for next-to-last stakes on the card. Landed, who figured to be favored, will come out of the race according to published reports and that leaves field of eight if they all go. Sterling Silver, who packs a strong resume and big bankroll; and Bernietakescharge, who scored a blowout win two starts back before fading in the mud last time, look toughest of that group.

Silver Skillet, a multiple New York-bred champion nominee in 2024, bids for third win in four starts at Saratoga in the Mount Vernon Stakes. Coglianese Photo/Susie Raisher.

Race 9. Mount Vernon Stakes. $200,000, 4-year-olds and up, fillies and mares, 1 1/16 miles. Post time 5:12. Silver Skillet returns to defend her title, albeit last year’s event was run on the main track after rains washed away the Showcase Day grass races. Daughter of Liam’s Map is equally good on grass, with three wins and two seconds in 11 tries. Reunites with Joel Rosario and potentially caps a big emotional day for the Clement family. Won’t be easy with the likes of Whatlovelookslike, Awesome Czech, Can’t Fool Me and Spinning Colors also in the field.

Race 10. Maiden special weight. $90,000, 3-year-olds and up, 1 1/16 miles, turf. Post time 5:47. Coach Case, a son of Slumber, makes second start after good try in debut on the grass for the late Christophe Clement. Plenty of players in the field with Sir Oscar, English Castle, Spirit of the Law, Hello Newman, Moe Eighty Eight, Mission Hill and Sir Lawrence all looking like threats.

The post New York Showcase Special appeared first on New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. News.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.–The event that horse racing has been waiting for is here.

Sovereignty (Into Mischief) and Journalism (Curlin), the top two finishers in the GI Kentucky Derby, will get their rematch in Saturday's $2-million GI Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course.

The two heavyweights of the 3-year-old division are the headliners of the 157th running of the Belmont, which will be run for the second straight year at Saratoga while Belmont Park continues its major renovation downstate.

A field of eight was entered at Monday's draw, which was held downtown at Universal Preservation Hall. The race, which has a scheduled post time of 7:04 p.m., will be run at 1 1/4 miles.

Normally, the Belmont distance is 1 1/2 miles but the track configuration of the track at Saratoga.

Journalism, despite losing the Derby by 1 1/2 lengths to Sovereignty, was installed as the 8-5 morning-line favorite in the Belmont by New York Racing Association odds maker David Aragona. Sovereignty is the second choice on the morning line at 2-1.

Journalism will be the only horse that competes in all three legs of this year's Triple Crown.

Following the Derby, he returned to win the GI Preakness Stakes with a remarkable, improbable finish. After encountering trouble in the stretch, Journalism and jockey Umberto Rispoli squeezed through a narrow hole and ran down the upset-minded Gosger (Nyquist).

Journalism will be making his third start in five weeks; Sovereignty has been resting since the Derby.

“This is a great race, one that is heavy on talent,” Journalism's trainer Michael McCarthy said. “Only eight horses but three or four that are going to be very, very good. Come years end, I would not be surprised if one of these horses won the Breeders' Cup Classic.”

Journalism is owned by Aron Wellman's Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Bridlewood Farm, Don Alberto Stable, Robert LaPenta, Elayne Stables 5 LLC, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith. Journalism was assigned post position seven and will again be ridden by Rispoli.

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, after huddling with Sovereignty's owner, Godolphin LLC, decided to skip the Preakness and a chance at a Triple Crown. Sovereignty, who will be ridden by Junior Alvarado for the fifth time in six, drew post position two.

Sovereignty has won three of his six starts and has a pair of seconds. The only time he finished off the board was in his first career start, last Aug. 24 at Saratoga when he was fourth.

“Every race he has run, he has shown up,” Mott said. “I think everyone would be looking forward to (the Belmont). These are two very good horses.”

Although the focus is clearly on the top two, it is not a two-horse race.

 Baeza (McKinzie) was only a neck behind Journalism in the Kentucky Derby, and he also hasn't raced since the first Saturday in May. Trained by John Shirreffs and owned by C R K Stable and Grandview Equine, Baeza made his graded stakes debut in the GI Santa Anita Derby where he was beaten three quarters of a length by Journalism.

The 4-1 third choice on the morning line, Baeza will be reunited with jockey Flavien Prat, who rode him for the first time in the Kentucky Derby and will start from post six.

“I hope we are right there,” Shirreffs said with a laugh when asked if he thought his horse should share top billing with the other two.

Shirreffs, like every trainer in the race, were not too concerned about post positions with an eight-horse field.

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert will be looking for his fourth Belmont victory when he saddles 'TDN Rising Star' Rodriguez (Authentic) on Saturday. Owned by SF Racing Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stable LLC, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert E. Masterson, Tom J. Ryan, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan, Rodriguez missed the Kentucky Derby and Preakness because of a foot issue.

Rodriguez (6-1 on the morning line) will start from post three. In his last start, he and Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith won the G2 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct buy 3 1/2 lengths going gate-to-wire. Smith has won the Belmont three times, the latest coming in 2018 with Triple Crown winner Justify (Scat Daddy).

“This is a nice field,” Baffert, who is flying East Tuesday, said from California. “The break is going to so important, and he has to run his race.”

'TDN Rising Star' Hill Road (Quality Road) will attempt to become the 10th winner of the GIII Peter Pan Stakes to claim the Belmont. The last horse to do it was Arcangelo (Arrogate), who won both races in 2023. Trained by Chad Brown and owned by Amo Racing USA, Hill Road finished third in the GIII Tampa Bay Derby on Mar. 8.

Hill Road came to Brown's barn after a third-place finish in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile in November. After Brown had to scratch Hill Road from the Wood Memorial because the horse came down with a fever and that forced him to miss the Kentucky Derby.

“He is a fresh horse, and he is looking for a mile and a quarter,” Brown said. “He seems to be in good position for the Belmont, but he is going to have to step it up.”

Hill Road (10-1) will be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. for the first time and will leave from the rail.

Early last week, Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said he would not have a horse in the Belmont. That changed on Sunday when Pletcher, a four-time Belmont winner, announced that he would enter Crudo (Justify) and Uncaged (Curlin).

Crudo (15-1) won the Sir Barton Stakes at Pimlico on Preakness Day in his last start and will start from post position five with Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez, a two-time Belmont winner, in the irons. Crudo is owned by Bobby Flay and James Ventura.

Owned by WinStar Farm LLC and Repole Stable, Uncaged (30-1) tries the Belmont after finishing sixth in the Peter Pan. Luis Saez will ride Uncaged for the first time, and they have post position four.

Following a fifth-place finish in the Preakness, Heart of Honor (GB) (Honor A.P.) will look to improve on that in the Belmont. Trained by England's Jamie Osborne and ridden by his 23-year-old daughter, Saffie.

The Preakness was the first race Heart of Honor, owned by Jim and Claire Limited, missed finishing either first or second in his prior six starts. Five of them were in Dubai. They drew post position eight and are 30-1 on the morning line.

 

The post Belmont Draws Eight; Journalism, Sovereignty to Renew Rivalry appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.