To many, the 2025 Belmont Stakes will just be a battle between Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winners Sovereignty and Journalism. However, a notable horse racing insider suggested this week, one specific competitor is a serious threat to beat both thoroughbreds on Saturday.
This weekend brings us the latest edition of the Belmont Stakes. While racing fans won’t get the chance to see a potential Triple Crown winner, they will get a unique rematch between the Derby and Preakness champs. Their second clash since they faced off in Kentucky last month has been the biggest story heading into Saturday.
Related: Ranking all the horses competing at the 2025 Belmont Stakes
However, according to Sirius/XM “At the Races” host Steve Byk, fellow competitor Baeza is primed to score an upset over race favorites Journalism and Sovereignty this weekend.
“The other portion of this story is Baeza. And at least with Baeza, who finished third in the Derby, he had an excuse, per se,” Byk told Sportsnaut. “He’s a horse who had only run four times coming into the Derby. He was giving away experience. They basically gave him these four weeks to essentially grow a little bit more. I was at his workout yesterday morning. He looks absolutely terrific.
“Baez’s presence here really needs to be appreciated. In addition, he’s going to be the best price of the three. And he has a tactical advantage over Sovereignty, and a little bit less of an advantage over Journalism,” he added. “Baeza has got an advantage here. Because he’s probably going to be sitting fourth, and Journalism sitting fifth [down the stretch]. Baeza is going to get the first run on the leaders, and he may be the horse to catch in the stretch.”
After a ninth-place finish in his December debut, the John A. Shirreffs-trained colt has looked good in his four races since. He finished second behind Journalism at Santa Anita in April, and third behind the current Belmont favorites at the Derby.
Baeza is certainly a horse that can compete with Sovereignty and Journalism. So if experience was the big issue in those previous races, he should be a very live underdog this weekend after another month of serious training.
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