The Belmont Stakes-G1 is back at Saratoga for the second year in a row, and it looks to be a highly competitive race. With Belmont Park still under construction, the race has shifted north and the distance has been trimmed to 1¼ miles, same as the Kentucky Derby-G1. The change has transformed the traditional “Test of the Champion” into a Travers-G1 preview.

This year’s race includes a rematch of the top three finishers from the Kentucky Derby: Sovereignty, Journalism, and Baeza. Sovereignty, the Derby winner, skipped the Preakness-G1 to rest and is the second favorite on the morning line at 2-1. 

Journalism, who finished second in the Derby and won the Preakness in thrilling fashion, is favored at 8-5, while Baeza, who was third in Louisville has been assigned 4-1 morning line odds. 

The field also includes Hill Road, winner of the Peter Pan Stakes-G3, and Rodriguez, trained by Bob Baffert, at 6-1. 

Longshots Uncaged and Heart of Honor round out the eight-horse lineup.

The race is set for Saturday, June 7, with a post time of 7:04 p.m. ET. It will be broadcast on FOX and streamed on FOXSports.com and the FOX Sports app. 

Trainer Michael McCarthy expressed confidence in Journalism’s condition and adaptability, pointing out that his charge is the only horse to compete in all three legs of this year’s Triple Crown. 

“Obviously, he put forth a heck of an effort in the Preakness, and he’s coming back here in three weeks’ time,” McCarthy told the Times Union, adding that the colt’s last — and only — workout since the Preakness was “solid,” with “little to no urging.”

Jockey Umberto Rispoli, who has been in the saddle for six of Journalism’s seven career starts, was also impressed with his mount’s June 1 work, noting afterward that the son of Curlin “looks like he didn’t even run two weeks ago.”

John Shirreffs, who will saddle Baeza on Saturday, was also optimistic about his chances, telling the New York Post that jockey Flavien Prat said “he didn’t get all the run he could have out of Baeza had he had an opportunity to get out a little sooner.”

Meanwhile, the winner of the Kentucky Derby, Sovereignty, is looking to prove that his 1½-length victory wasn’t a fluke. As it is, his jockey, Junior Alvarado, faced controversy and was fined and suspended for alleged whip overuse during the Derby, a ruling he is currently appealing. 

Here’s a look at the field:

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SARATOGA SPRINGS — While many horse racing fans are expecting Saturday’s Belmont Stakes to be a rematch, it just might turn into a threematch.

Baeza made a late rush from the back of the pack in the May 3 Kentucky Derby, coming up less than two lengths short of winner Sovereignty, with Journalism in between.

Journalism then won the Preakness two weeks later, while Sovereignty rested.

Now, in the second Belmont Stakes to be conducted at Saratoga during Belmont’s renovation, Baeza is the third-favorite at 4-1 to get his slice of the Triple Crown pie.

“I had a hard time finding him [in the Derby] because it was so muddy that day, but once he got out and made his move, he was obviously finishing faster than any horse in the race,” trainer John Shirreffs told The Post. “After the race, [jockey] Flavien [Prat] said he didn’t get all the run he could have out of Baeza had he had an opportunity to get out a little sooner.”

Shirreffs is best known for training 2005 Kentucky Derby champion Giacomo and 2009 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Zenyatta.

Prat has two Triple Crown wins — the 2019 Kentucky Derby aboard Country House and the 2021 Preakness with Rombauer.

Baeza himself is in position to claim a place in history.

With a victory on Saturday, his broodmare, Puca, would become the first to have produced three Triple Crown race champions, and she would have done it in consecutive years.

Mage won the Kentucky Derby in 2023 and Dornoch captured the Belmont Stakes last year.

Both were by Puca and Good Magic.

Baeza was sired by McKinzie. Like Mage and Dornoch, Baeza spent his first year and a half of life at Runnymede Farm in Paris, Ky.

“[Baeza is] a dream to train. I mean, there’s nothing I would want to change about that horse,” Shirreffs said. “He’s the perfect weight. He’s the perfect size. He’s got a beautiful stride. He’s got this great appetite. He’s the total package.”

Baeza is named after Hall of Fame jockey Braulio Baeza, who in 1963 became the first Latin American rider to win the Kentucky Derby aboard Chateaugay.

Owner Mike Repole, the billionaire benefactor of St. John’s basketball, has a Belmont Stakes championship with Mo Donegal in 2022 and a second place with Mindframe last year.

On Saturday, he sends 30-1 Uncaged to the post with trainer Todd Pletcher and jockey Luis Saez.

Saez won last year’s Belmont Stakes aboard Dornoch.

Repole’s Fierceness will be hunting for an automatic bid to the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile when he runs in the $1 million Metropolitan Handicap, Saturday’s eighth race.

Fierceness won the Travers Stakes in 2024, the signature event of Saratoga’s summer meet.

Giants board director Chris Mara made it to the winner’s circle on Friday.

He’s part of the ownership group of Bellacose, who won the first race for jockey John Velazquez and trainer Wesley Ward.

SHELBYVILLE, Ky. (LEX 18) — A local missionary family living in Rwanda made it back to Kentucky last week to lay their 6-year-old daughter to rest.

Isabella Grace died of an asthma attack in April. For weeks, her mother LaShanda Bradley has been trying to get Bella back to Shelbyville for her burial. It finally happened last week.

“Very grateful to everyone who has made it possible, because making it here, to this day, has been a journey,” said Bradley. “This type of pain is one that no one should feel, no mother should have to walk through this, no mother should have to say goodbye to their child.”

Bradley told LEX18 she had an army of those behind her, helping with the logistics of travel, arranging services, and emotional support. Her long-time friend Ronesha Roberts never left her side. Roberts also has a baby who has passed.

“It was long nights, but I didn’t care because I had already walked that journey, I had six months with mine, she had six years with hers, that’s a different kind of hurt,” said Roberts.

Bradley says her faith is carrying her moment to moment.

“I describe grief as waves, the times when the waves feel like they’re taking me under, it’s too much, and I’m just missing her so much, God gives me these nudges of she’s not gone, she’s here, she’s always here with me,” said Bradley.

Bradley, her husband, and two children say they’re being called back to Rwanda to continue their missionary work. They have a GoFundMe to support what they’re calling their new normal.