He didn't win the Triple Crown, but Sovereignty reigns as the supreme racehorse of 2025.
After being held out of the Preakness Stakes on May 17, the Kentucky Derby winner returned in style to claim the Belmont Stakes on Saturday at Saratoga in New York. Sovereignty is the first Derby winner to intentionally skip the Preakness and return to win the Belmont.
Just as he did at Churchill Downs, the horse trained by Bill Mott and jockeyed by Junior Alvarado chased down the favored Journalism in the final stretch, accelerating in the last 1/2 mile to cross the finish line first and win $1.2 million.
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The question will always remain as to whether Sovereignty could have won the Triple Crown, but his month of rest certainly appeared to help on Saturday. Capturing two legs of arguably the most difficult feat in sports will still put the horse in the history books.
"If we hadn't won today, we would've taken a lot of criticism," Mott said after the race. "But sometimes you make the right decision, and today, it turned out good."
The Sporting News tracked live race updates and results from the 2025 Belmont Stakes. Check out the highlights from the final Triple Crown race below.
MORE SOVEREIGNTY:
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- How much did Sovereignty win at the Kentucky Derby?
- Who is Junior Alvarado? Meet Sovereignty's jockey
- Why Sovereignty jockey was fined for excessive whipping
Who won the Belmont Stakes in 2025?
Just as he did in the Kentucky Derby, Sovereignty outlasted favored Journalism, decisively pulling ahead during the final stretch at Saratoga. He is the first Derby winner to intentionally skip the Preakness Stakes and come back to win the Belmont Stakes.
Sovereignty wins an epic renewal of the Belmont Stakes! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/OhjJ02TkyX
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 7, 2025
Belmont Stakes finish order
| Order | Horse | Odds |
| 1 | Sovereignty | 2-1 |
| 2 | Journalism | 8-5 |
| 3 | Baeza | 4-1 |
| 4 | Rodriguez | 6-1 |
| 5 | Crudo | 15-1 |
| 6 | Hill Road | 10-1 |
| 7 | Uncaged | 30-1 |
| 8 | Heart of Honor | 30-1 |
Belmont Stakes highlights, results from 2025 race
(All times Eastern)
7:20 p.m. — Here's Sovereignty's trainer, Bill Mott, on his team's decision to skip the Preakness.
Tom Rinaldi catches up with Sovereignty's trainer Bill Mott after winning the Belmont Stakes! pic.twitter.com/P1EoOqzhfr
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 7, 2025
7:12 p.m. — Sovereignty wins the Belmont Stakes! He's the first Derby winner to skip the Preakness and come back to win the Belmont.
7:11 p.m. —Sovereignty makes a move to pass Journalism on the outside!
7:10 p.m. — Journalism is in a strong position. He makes a decisive move with a 1/4 mile to go.
7:09 p.m. — And they're off! Rodriguez and Crudo jump out to an early lead
7:08 p.m. —The last of the horses are getting into the gates...here we go.
7:01 p.m. — We're just three minutes away from start time at the Belmont Stakes. The horses are making their way to the gates. Journalism remains the favorite.
6:55 p.m. — Jockeys have mounted their horses. Mark Tremonti, the guitarist from Creed, is singing "New York, New York" as they walk to the gates.
6:25 p.m. — We're less than an hour away from posting time. Sovereignty is trying to become the first Kentucky Derby winner to skip the Preakness and return to win the Belmont Stakes.
6:15 p.m. — Patch Adams pulls away to take the victory in the Woody Stephens Stakes!
Patch Adams wins the Grade One Woody Stephens Stakes! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/B2BsNRbti7
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 7, 2025
6:00 p.m. — Former Steelers quarterback and Fox analyst Terry Bradshaw is on the broadcast now. He picks Journalism to win the Belmont Stakes.
5:25 p.m. — A.P. Kid comes from behind to win the Pennine Ridge Stakes!
A.P. KID easily wins the off turf G3 The Pennine Ridge, ridden by @ljlmvel for trainer Todd Pletcher and the colors of @DonegalRacing at Saratoga
— Agentes305 (@agentes305) June 7, 2025
A.P. KID fácilmente rebasa Mi Bago para ganar el Pennine Ridge Stakes G3 con monta de John Velázquez para la cuadra de Todd Pletcher pic.twitter.com/ZHfoTZeaOL
5:04 p.m. — We are two hours away from posting time at the Belmont Stakes. Sovereignty, Journalism and Baeza, the top three finishers at the Kentucky Derby, will square off in the main event from Saratoga Race Track.
4:20 p.m. — Raging Torrent pulls away late to win the Met Mile!
Raging Torrent fights off Fierceness to win the Met Mile pic.twitter.com/wTHJZoOQN8
— Mike MacAdam (@Mike_MacAdam) June 7, 2025
4:00 p.m. — After rain earlier in the day canceled turf races, it is turning into a perfect afternoon at Saratoga. The track will be muddy, but conditions will be clear for the Belmont Stakes.
MORE: How much prize money will the Belmont Stakes winner get in 2025?
2025 Belmont Stakes post time
- Date: Saturday, June 7
- Post time: 7:04 p.m. ET
The 2025 Belmont Stakes is scheduled to start at 7:04 p.m. ET on Saturday, June 7. There will be other races throughout the day at Saratoga, starting in the morning.
How to watch the 2025 Belmont Stakes
- TV channel: FOX, FS1
- Live stream: Fox Sports app | Fubo
Fox's coverage of the Belmont Stakes will begin at 10:30 a.m. ET on FS1, nearly nine hours before the post time for the main event. The coverage will shift to Fox at 2:30 p.m. ET.
Viewers can stream the Belmont Stakes on the Fox Sports App or Fubo, which offers a free trial.
Belmont Stakes post positions 2025
The Belmont Stakes draw was held on Monday, June 2. Here's a look at how the horses will line up and who has the best odds to win the event.
| Post position | Horse | Odds |
| 1 | Hill Road | 10-1 |
| 2 | Sovereignty | 2-1 |
| 3 | Rodriguez | 6-1 |
| 4 | Uncaged | 30-1 |
| 5 | Crudo | 15-1 |
| 6 | Baeza | 4-1 |
| 7 | Journalism | 8-5 |
| 8 | Heart of Honor | 30-1 |