Journalism Is Running In The Belmont Stakes, Wellman Tells Gambling.com
The 2025 Preakness Stakes winner, Journalism, is running in the Belmont Stakes on Saturday.
Aron Wellman of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, co-owners of Journalism, told Gambling.com on Sunday that Journalism will compete in the Belmont.
This sets up a Saturday, June 7, showdown between Journalism and the May 3 Kentucky Derby winner, Sovereignty. Other competitive 3-year-old thoroughbreds are scheduled to run in the Belmont, including Baeza, the third-place finisher in the Derby. The Belmont is being held at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York.
Though favored in the Derby, Journalism finished second to Sovereignty. While Journalism went on two weeks later to compete in the Preakness at Pimlico in Baltimore, Sovereignty sat out that race. Sovereignty’s team held him out until the Belmont. This meant there would be no showdown between the top two Derby finishers at the Preakness, though that matchup is set for the Belmont, pending any last-minute issues.
Sovereignty’s absence from the Preakness also meant there would be no Triple Crown winner in 2025. The last Triple Crown winner was Justify in 2018.
The first leg of the Triple Crown is the Kentucky Derby, followed two weeks later by the second leg, the Preakness. Three weeks after the Preakness is the Belmont.
After Sovereignty’s team held the horse out from the Preakness, some people questioned whether the Triple Crown races should be spaced further apart to give horses time to recover.
However, in a video interview on Gambling.com’s “The Edge,” Wellman said he is leaning toward preserving the Triple Crown tradition by leaving the schedule as is.
“It takes an all-time great to do it,” Wellman said of the current five-week format.
Wellman: Triple Crown 'Takes An All-Time Great'
Belmont Possible Contenders
According to the Courier-Journal, below is the potential field for the Belmont. The Belmont draw is set for Monday, June 2. The race will be broadcast on Fox. Post time is scheduled for 6:41 PM ET.
| Horse | Trainer | Jockey |
|---|---|---|
| Baeza | John Shirreffs | Flavien Prat |
| Heart of Honor | Jamie Osborne | Saffie Osborne |
| Hill Road | Chad Brown | TBA |
| Journalism | Michael McCarthy | Umberto Rispoli |
| Rodriguez | Bob Baffert | Mike Smith |
| Sovereignty | Bill Mott | Junior Alvarado |
| Uncaged | Todd Pletcher | Luis Saez |
2025 Triple Crown Schedule
- The Kentucky Derby: Churchill Downs, Louisville, Kentucky, May 3
- The Preakness Stakes: Pimlico, Baltimore, Maryland, May 17
- The Belmont Stakes: Saratoga*, New York, June 7
*Note: This race is being held in Saratoga as work continues on a $550 million upgrade at Belmont Park in Elmont on Long Island, just east of New York City. At Saratoga, the race is being run over 1 ¼ miles instead of 1 ½ miles at Belmont Park.
Get more information on Belmont Stakes betting from Gambling.com.
