After bypassing the second leg of the Triple Crown, Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty will make his much-anticipated return to action on Saturday at the 2025 Belmont Stakes. Waiting for him will be rival Journalism, who finished a length behind Sovereignty at Churchill Downs before winning the Preakness Stakes with a thrilling, come-from-behind win two weeks later. Both horses drew into the 2025 Belmont Stakes field and their rematch will take place at Saratoga Race Course with Belmont Park undergoing renovations. Post time is scheduled for 7:04 p.m. ET and Journalism is the 8-5 favorite in the 2025 Belmont Stakes odds, while Sovereignty is 2-1.
They're followed by third-place Kentucky Derby finisher Baeza (4-1), Wood Memorial winner Rodriguez (6-1) and Peter Pan Stakes winner Hill Road (10-1) among the 2025 Belmont Stakes horses. Before making any 2025 Belmont Stakes picks, be sure to see the horse racing predictions and futures bets from SportsLine's elite horse racing expert Jody Demling.
A fixture in the horse racing world who has been writing about, talking about and betting on races for years, Demling hit the top three finishers at the Kentucky Derby in the correct order and then nailed the exacta in this year's Preakness Stakes. He also predicted the winner of the Belmont Stakes four of the last seven years, including an exacta in 2022 with Mo Donegal and Nest. Anyone who has followed him on those picks is up huge and first-time users can boost their bankroll with the latest FanDuel Racing promo code and TwinSpires promo code. You can also check out the latest Belmont Stakes betting apps and Belmont Stakes betting promos before deciding how to bet the 2025 Belmont Stakes.
Now, with the 2025 Belmont Stakes around the corner, Demling is sharing his 2025 Belmont Stakes betting picks and 2025 Belmont Stakes predictions over at SportsLine. Go here to see them.
Top 2025 Belmont Stakes predictions
One of Demling's surprising 2025 Belmont Stakes picks: He isn't picking Sovereignty or Journalism to win, even though they each won a leg of this year's Triple Crown and are the two favorites. Horse racing fans will certainly be hoping to see these two horses come together once again after a thrilling stretch battle at Churchill Downs. However, they'll both be racing under very different circumstances than were present at the Kentucky Derby.
For starters, there is some rain in the Belmont Stakes weather forecast this week, but it's unlikely to be anywhere near as sloppy in upstate New York as it was in Kentucky on the first Saturday in May. Meanwhile, Sovereignty will go from starting on the far outside at Churchill Downs (No. 18 post) to the far inside (No. 2) at Saratoga and Journalism will move to the outside (No. 7) after starting middle of the pack (No. 8) in the Kentucky Derby and inside at the Preakness Stakes (No. 2). See which other 2025 Belmont Stakes horses to target at SportsLine.
How to make 2025 Belmont Stakes picks, bets
Demling's top pick is an underdog who could be "the best value in the race." Demling is sharing which horse it is, along with his entire projected 2025 Belmont Stakes leaderboard, over at SportsLine.
Which horse wins the Belmont Stakes 2025, and which value longshot is a must-back? Check out the latest 2025 Belmont Stakes odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Demling's picks for the Belmont Stakes, all from the expert who nailed the top three Kentucky Derby finishers in the correct order and the Preakness Stakes exacta.
2025 Belmont Stakes horses, odds, post draw
