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Sovereignty does it again! Derby winner beats Journalism in 157th Belmont Stakes

Jack PIlgrimby: Jack Pilgrim06/08/25
Horse Racing: 157th Belmont Stakes
Jun 7, 2025; Saratoga, NY, USA; Sovereignty with Junior Alvarado up wins the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Sovereignty has done it again, following up his Kentucky Derby win back on May 3 with a victory in the 157th running of the Belmont Stakes on Saturday. Skipping the Preakness Stakes on May 17 — and a chance at the Triple Crown — the Bill Mott-trained horse jockeyed by Junior Alvarado made the most of their time off by finishing first in the 1 1/4 mile, $2 million race at Saratoga Race Course in New York.

It’s the first time since 1995 (Thunder Gulch) a horse has won the Derby and Belmont without winning the Preakness — and the first time ever for a horse to skip the Preakness, but win the Derby and Belmont. Sovereignty is the first horse to win both since Justify’s Triple Crown run in 2018.

The craziest part? The trifecta was identical from the Kentucky Derby with Sovereignty pulling off the win in 2:00.69, followed by Journalism in second and Baeza in third. Like the Derby, Journalism was once again the favorite (8/5), followed by Sovereignty (2/1) and Baeza (4/1) in second and third, respectively.

Unreal.

Bill Mott earns $1.2 million with the win out of the $2 million total purse. Winning tickets paid $7.

“We had a repeat of the Derby,” Mott said on television after the race. “The first three finishers of the Derby finished 1-2-3. … What it means is it’s for real. That’s three really good horses, and I’m glad [Sovereignty] was able to come back and put in a race like he did in the Derby.”

“Two great horses. [Journalism] ran amazing again coming back after the Preakness,” Junior Alvarado, a native of Venezuela living in Long Island, said. “He didn’t make it easy for my horse. I just think [Sovereignty] was great today.”

Three lengths of separation and two Triple Crown legs — Sovereignty took a risk and that risk paid off.

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2025-09-15