Sovereignty outran Journalism in the 157th Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday, securing two legs of the Triple Crown. The horse, ridden by Junior Alvarado, finished first with a time of 2:00.69, beating Preakness winner Journalism by three lengths.
Trainer Bill Mott described Sovereignty as “three really good horses” and praised Alvarado’s ride, saying he put himself in a good position early on. The victory marked the second Belmont win for Mott, who was emotional about winning at home track Saratoga.
Mott credited Journalism’s strong performance, but noted that his decision to skip the Preakness Stakes was necessary for the horse’s well-being. Godolphin owner Michael Banahan also supported this decision, saying it allowed the horse a long future and prepared him for upcoming stakes races.
The victory sets up a potential rematch between Sovereignty and Journalism in the Travers Stakes at the end of the summer. Mott expressed his enthusiasm for the possibility, describing it as an “important” race for the three-year-old.
Source: https://www.espn.com/horse-racing/story/_/id/45471553/kentucky-derby-victor-sovereignty-returns-win-belmont-stakes