Smith has won the Belmont Stakes three times, the last time aboard Baffert’s Triple Crown-winning Justify in 2018. Baffert, too, is seeking his fourth Belmont Stakes victory and first since Justify.

The 2025 Belmont Stakes has a rare but intriguing storyline attached to it. A Triple Crown is not on the line on Saturday at Saratoga, but the winners of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes are entered into the eight-horse field.

Ridden by Junior Alvarado, Sovereignty swept past favored Journalism in the stretch and powered to victory. Journalism held on for second, with Baeza getting up for third.