The race marked a kind of replay of the Kentucky Derby. Sovereignty finished in first, Journalism ended up in second again and Baeza was third — the same 1-2-3 as the Derby.

The 1.5-mile race will feature racehorses Sovereignty and Journalism, the winners of the 2025 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, respectively. Journalism had been the odds favorite (4-1) heading into the Derby, while Sovereignty entered the race at 9-1 odds, but Sovereignty gained the edge in the final moments on the muddy Churchill Downs track.

Sovereignty surges ahead of Journalism to win the 157th running of the Belmont Stakes in a similar repeat of how the race unfolded in the Kentucky Derby.