In a thrilling edition of the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1), Godolphin’s homebred colt Sovereignty asserted his dominance, powering through the stretch to capture the third jewel of the Triple Crown at Saratoga Race Course.
Under a masterful ride from jockey Junior Alvarado, the William Mott-trained son of Into Mischief overcame a slight bump at the start to win by a convincing three lengths. The final time for the one-and-a-quarter-mile contest over a good track was 2:00.69.
The race began with Rodriguez breaking sharply to establish an early lead, setting fractions of 23.42 for the quarter-mile and 47.60 for the half. All the while, Alvarado had Sovereignty settled comfortably just off the pace.
After saving ground through the initial turns, Sovereignty was tipped into the clear down the backstretch, keeping a close watch on his main rival, Journalism.
As the field rounded the far turn, Journalism made a bold three-wide move to challenge the front-running Rodriguez, taking a brief lead as they straightened for home.
Following that move, Alvarado angled Sovereignty five-wide at the top of the stretch. A determined Sovereignty rallied, engaged Journalism at the eighth pole, seized command shortly after, and edged clear under a steady drive to secure the victory.
“He shied in a step just after the start…settled along the inside…tipped two to three wide down the backstretch in pursuit from just off the pace,” the official chart notes read. The winning move was decisive: “rallied to issue a challenge nearing the eighth pole and seized command just inside that station, then edged clear under a drive to prevail.”
Journalism, who bobbled at the start, ran a valiant race to finish second, well clear of the rest of the field. Baeza closed from mid-pack to secure third-place honors. The early pacesetter, Rodriguez, weakened in the final furlong to finish fourth.
The victory provided the winner with a $1,200,000 share of the $2,000,000 purse. Trophies were presented to the winning owner, trainer, and groom.
Scratched Horses: none
Fractional Times: 23.42, 47.60, 1:12.20, 1:36.70
Final Time: 2:00.69
Winning Connections
Winner: Sovereignty
Jockey: Junior Alvarado
Trainer: Bill Mott
Owner: Godolphin, LLC
Breeder: Godolphin, LLC
Bloodline: Bay Colt, by Into Mischief out of Crowned by Bernardini. Foaled Feb 22, 2022 in Kentucky.
Stallion Info: Into Mischief stands at Spendthrift Farm, in Lexington, KY, for $250,000 Live Foal
Payouts
1st – (2) Sovereignty, Win: Paid $7.00, Place: Paid $3.20, Show: Paid $2.30
2nd – (7) Journalism, Place: Paid $3.20, Show: Paid $2.30
3rd – (6) Baeza, Show: Paid $2.60
Exotics: $1 EXACTA (2-7) Paid: $6.60 | $0.10 SUPERFECTA (2-7-6-3) Paid: $4.05 | $0.50 TRIFECTA (2-7-6) Paid: $6.90
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