12.04 Belmont Stakes Presented By NYRA Bets (Grade 1) 1m2f
The second-biggest three-year-old race in the world today goes off just past midnight and it is arguably as intriguing as the Derby at Epsom, as the Belmont Stakes, these days over 10 furlongs at Saratoga, will aim to find the undisputed top three-year-old colt in the US. Of course there is one big absentee, in the Preakness winner Napolean Solo, but the one, two, four from the Kentucky Derby do battle again.
The Cherie DeVaux-trained Golden Tempo was the shock winner at Churchill Downs, coming wide from an almost tailed off position on the first turn, to give Jose Ortiz a famous victory over his brother Irad on the favourite Renegade.
While the winner came fast and late from a long way back, Renegade had had to overcome a stall one draw and some early trouble in running and in the straight, to get into the clear. He had been Derby favourite off his two wins this season, the latest an impressive Grade 1 Arkansas Derby win at Oaklawn in March.
The fourth placed in Kentucky, Chief Wallabee, had also suffered some interference in the straight. He wore blinkers in the Derby and the feeling is that this son of Constitution could still have some improvement, on what is only his fifth outing of his career.
Chad Brown’s duo Commandment and Emerging Market were also Derby also-rans.
Commandment had won the Florida Derby, while Emerging Market had some excuses in the Kentucky Derby, losing a shoe and running close to a swift early pace on only his third career start.
With nine runners here, there should be no hard luck stories.
SELECTION: Chief Wallabee Next best: Renegade
Rest of the card
10:32 Hill ‘N’ Dale Metropolitan Handicap (Grade 1) (Dirt) 1m
The ‘Met Mile’ is a good appetiser for the big race, with the 2025 Preakness winner Journalism back in action. His third to White Abarrio and Sovereignty in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap was a touch disappointing, as he never looked like overhauling the first two.
He had won three times at Grade 1 level in the Santa Anita Derby, Preakness Stakes and Haskell Stakes last season, before a fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. But he has not run in a mile race since his maiden win in November 2024.
Nysos from stall one for Bob Baffert returns after a second in the Saudi Cup to Forever Young, which probably stretched him over nine furlongs. He had run up a four-race winning streak in California, including the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile last season. From stall one, he can control the race.
Knightsbridge had looked a big improver, until only sixth to T O Elvis in the Grade 1 Churchill Downs Stakes on Derby day. William Mott’s charge should step up on that.
He had won February’s Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Mile Stakes by 11 1/4 lengths with a huge speed figure.
Saudi Crown is a good horse on his day and comes off two wins this season.
Todd Pletcher’s Antiquarian sprung a shock last season in a messy running of the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes here in August, but none the less, held off Sierra Leone then.
SELECTION: NYSOS Next best: Journalism
11.11 Resorts World Casino Manhattan Stakes (Grade 1) (Turf) (4yo+) 1m1½f
The Manhattan surprisingly has no Godolphin European representatives, with Andre Fabre sending over Bright Picture from France. The son of Intello was busy early with two group wins and chased home Daryz in the Group 1 Prix Ganay, over three lengths behind.
Trainer Will Walden sends his star Rhetorical to head the field off a wide margin win, gate-to-wire in the Grade 1 Turf Classic Stakes on May 2nd at Churchill Downs.
Deterministic for Miguel Clement is on a five-timer, winning this race last season and also the Grade 1 FanDuel Fourstardave Stakes at Saratoga last year.
Graham Motion’s Test Score did well to hold on and win the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes in the early spring, but was very disappointing when only eighth at Churchill Downs in that Grade 1 Turf Classic Stakes, won impressively by Rhetorical from Make Me King.
Motion’s second runner, the South African-bred One Stripe can’t be omitted either on his second in the Grade 1 Maker’s Mark Mile Stakes to Zulu Kingdom, the race where Rhetorical was third and Notable Speech didn’t get a clear run.
Make Me King represents Wathnan Racing and trainer Hamad Al Jehani and had previously been three and a half lengths behind Ombudsman when fourth in the Dubai Turf.
First Grade 1
Chad Brown’s five-year-old mare Segesta heads the field for the first Grade 1 Just A Game Stakes Presented By Resolute Racing (7.47pm) over a mile for Fillies & Mares on the turf.
Francis Graffard sends over the Aga Khan’s Mandanaba, the Ghaiyyath four-year-old was a listed winner last time out at ParisLongchamp.
Mark Casse’s Grade 2 winner Book’em Danno was the top older sprinter in the US last season and won here and three top wins at Saratoga over the summer. He bids to get back to winning ways in the Grade 3 8.25pm True North Stakes over six and a half furlongs, following a return defeat in the Grade 2 Carter Handicap at Aqueduct in April.
Bullet set to fire
Absent since last November, when third over a mile in the Grade 1 Matriarch Stakes at Del Mar, the six-year-old mare Ag Bullet bids to follow up last year’s win in the Grade 1 Jaipur Stakes (10.13pm), a five and a half furlong turf sprint. She won this and the big money sprint at Kentucky Downs before only managing second in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint last autumn.
The Woody Stephens Stakes Presented By Mohegan Sun (9.52pm) over seven furlongs for three-year-olds is headed by Crude Velocity for Bob Baffert. Unbeaten in his three races, he had main danger Englishman over three lengths behind when winning the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile Stakes at Churchill Downs by over three lengths.
Crude Velocity sat just off the pace set by Englishman through lively fractions that day, before yielding to Crude Velocity’s powerful kick that put him in control at the finish, but Englishman’s trainer Cherie DeVaux is confident the drop back a furlong will be to her horse’s advantage today.