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2024 Belmont Stakes Undercard Results

Flavien Prat and National Treasure winning the Met Mile

Belmont Stakes Undercard Stakes

Of the three Triple Crown races, the undercard of the Belmont Stakes has the most prestigious races on its undercard. The 50,000 fans in attendance at Saratoga were also treated to 8 additional graded stakes before the main event including five Grade 1 events and 3 Breeders' Cup Challenge Series "Win and You're In" qualifiers. Conditions were typical for early June in Saratoga Springs, with the over 50,000 fans in attendance enjoying cloudy skies, temperatures in the high 60's, the main track fast and both turf courses firm. All sources handle for the 13-race Belmont Stakes Day card was $125,748,941, which is a NYRA record for a non-Triple Crown year, of which $14,854,311 was bet on-track.

The $1 million Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan Handicap (G1) featured a field of 6 older horses going 1 mile on the main track looking for automatic entry into the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. Pegasus World Cup (G1) winner and Saudi Cup (G1) 4th place finisher National Treasure was sent off as the 6-5 favorite over 8-5 second choice White Abarrio, winner of the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) but 10th in the Saudi Cup, and 5-1 third choice Post Time, second in the Westchester (G3) after winning the Carter (G2).

Jockey Flavien Prat sent National Treasure to the lead out of the clubhouse turn chute through fractions of 23.52, 45.75, and 1:09.34 while pressed by 11-1 Hoist the Gold and stalked by 29-1 longest shot Castle Chaos. Turning for home National Treasure drew clear, opening up by 5 lengths through 7f in 1:21.92 and finishing up 6 1/4 lengths clear of late-running Post Time in 1:35.12. It was a neck back to Hoist the Gold third.

Pgm Horse Jockey Win Place Show 2 National Treasure Prat 4.70 3.10 2.60 3 Post Time Russell 4.30 3.10 5 Hoist the Gold Velazquez 4.70 Winning Time: 1:35.12 $1 Exacta 2-3 9.20 $1 Trifecta 2-3-5 43.50 $1 Superfecta 2-3-5-1 203.20

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Left: National Treasure heads to the winners circle. Winning jockey Flavien Prat said, "The first part, I had to keep him engaged. But then once I got down the backside, it felt like I was going to be able to get away from Johnny [Velazquez, aboard Hoist the Gold]. Then after that, when I tightened my rein, he just went on. He has always shown talent. There's one thing about him is he always shows up and runs his race. It was a great run today."

Right: The trophy presentation for the Met Mile. Winning trainer Bob Baffert said, "He's royally bred and a beautiful horse, but it's about the excitement of winning these big races for these clients. That's why they're in the business – to play on the big stage. The stallion part of it he'll have to prove down the road, but we know he's a tremendous racehorse." Co-owner Tom Ryan added, "This is the most satisfying result. We have never won the Met Mile before and for him to come out and do this—he's a brilliant horse. He has that early speed and put them to the sword early and just kept traveling. He's a superstar."

Measured Time and 22-1 Strong Quality dueled for the lead through fractions of 23.14, 48.34, and 1:11.64 while stalked by Program Trading and 17-1 Ohana Honor. Turning for home Strong Quality tired allowing Measured Time to open up a 1 1/2 length lead through 1 mile in 1:34.61. Kept to task by William Buick, Measured Time finished 2 lengths clear of late-running 6-1 Nations Pride in 1:51.94, just 54/100 second off the course record. It was a neck back to Ohana Honor third.

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Left: Measured Time from the inside. Winning trainer Charlie Appleby said, "This was our most confident race of the meet this weekend. Measured Time is a horse that is, as you certainly know well, a half-brother to Rebel's Romance. We've earmarked this for some time thinking that the American tracks would suit him. Obviously, we saw what he did in Dubai. That kind of tracks, nice level tracks, suit him. He's a big striding horse. It's a decision we made and then it was let him get on with it today and try and make our own run rather than get him in a tangle. You try and organize a horse like him and he finds it hard. He's happy going on."

Right: Measured Time. Winning jockey William Buick said, "It was always the plan to go forward, sit forward. He's a horse you never feel like you are going quick enough, so I was happy where I was. He was a bit competitive early on, but I always felt he was in a nice rhythm, and he's a real powerful galloper, as you saw there. He's still got a bit to learn, like he ran out on the home bend and it doesn't feel like he's a finished article just yet, but he sure has the raw talent."

Kicking off the Saturday stakes action, the $350,000 F.W. Webb True North Stakes (G2) featured a field of 7 older horses sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs on the main track. Churchill Downs Stakes (G1) winner Gun Pilot was sent off as the 7-10 favorite over 3-1 second choice Accretive, 2nd in an allowance last out, and 8-1 third choice Rotknee, winner oft eh Affirmed Success.

Jockey Jose Ortiz sent 10-1 fifth choice Gun It to the lead out of the chute through fractions of 21.94 and 44.04 while pressed by 9-1 fourth choice Baby Yoda and stalked by Rotknee. Turning for home Gun It tired allowing Baby Yoda to inherit the lead through 3/4 in 1:08.13. Kept to task by Eric Cancel, Baby Yoda drew off to win by 6 lengths over 16-1 Ninetyprcentmaddie in 1:14.62. It was a length back to favorite Gun Pilot third.

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Left: Baby Yoda heads to the winner's circle. Winning owner Adam Wachtel said, "He's been a superstar for us since Day One. He won his first few races for us here at Saratoga and he loves it here, as you can just see. Bill [Mott] felt pretty confident that he would run his race today. Whether that was going to be good enough against a pretty good field was hard to know, but clearly he was ready enough for the task. I'd like to keep running him here at Saratoga."

Right: Baby Yoda returns after the race. Winning jockey Eric Cancel said, "I didn't want him to get in his way. I wanted to keep him as smooth as possible and that is how it went. He was very comfortable where he was and when I asked him, he just responded. I had a lot of horse. I was just waiting. I didn't want to move early, but at the same time, I knew that if they came up to him, he was going to respond, because he was very comfortable doing it." 

A field of 7 older horses went 1 mile on the inner turf course in the $350,000 Poker Stakes (G3). Opening Verse Stakes winner Carl Spackler was sent off as the 9-5 favorite over 5-2 second choice Casa Creed, 6th in the Al Quoz Sprint (G1) after finishing 3rd in the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1), and 3-1 third choice Talk of the Nation, second in the Opening Verse.

Jockey Jose Ortiz sent 24-1 Ice Chocolat to the lead first time by through fractions of 24.41, 48.17, and 1:11.34 while pressed by Talk of the Nation and stalked by 11-2 fourth choice Mysterious Night. Turning for home Ice Chocolat continued to lead through 7f in 1:22.52, and held off Mysterious Night to win by a length in 1:33.97. It was a head back to Talk of the Nation third, while favorite Carl Spackler checked in 5th beaten 2 3/4 lengths.
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Left: Ice Chocolat heads to the winner's circle. Winning trainer Mark Casse said, "He had a great day today. The break was better today.  He's shown in the past that he likes Saratoga. You can go back two or three races where he showed his class but he just got unlucky. In turf racing you need some luck. When you go to the lead nobody gets in your way. I would think we'll see him here back at Saratoga in a stakes race. Maybe long term the Fourstardave. We like that race."

Right: Ice Chocolat returns after the race. Winning jockey Jose Ortiz said, "He did relax very well. Honestly, I didn't have any plan leaving the gate. He broke clean, so I helped him into the turn and see what happens. I wasn't expecting to be there but how he broke, I would intend to be there. If they clear me, then I take back, but they left me alone and the horse took care of the rest. I was able to wait as long as I wanted and when I asked him to go, he responded very good. He gave me an explosive kick. We are just very happy with his race, we weren't expecting it to be [front-running] like that."

A field of 7 older horses went 1 1/4 miles in the $350,000 Suburban Stakes (G2). Allowance winner Bendoog was sent off as the 9-10 favorite over 5-2 second choice Crupi, 10th in the Dubai World Cup (G1), and 8-1 third choice Kuchar, third in the Excelsior Stakes.

Jockey Flavien Prat sent Kuchar to lead first time by through fractions of 23.70, 47.85, and 1:11.93 while pressed by 17-1 Good Skate and stalked by 9-1 Signator and Bendoog. Turning for home Bendoog inherited the lead through 1 mile in 1:36.50, but Crupi, last early under Irad Ortiz Jr., came out 6 wide and rallied to win by 1/2 a length in 2:02.71. It was a neck back to 14-1 Masqueparade third.
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Left: Crupi returns after the race. Winning trainer Todd Pletcher said, "My concern was that I didn't see a whole lot of pace, on paper, and he's not the kind of horse where you can change his style. He's a horse that wants to make one late run. We had to sacrifice some ground around the far turn to get him in the clear, but he kept coming. He showed a lot of courage in the lane. He fought hard for the win."

Right: Crupi wins the race. Winning jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. said,  "He was doing everything I asked him to do. He broke good. He doesn't have too much speed early, so he just sat back and relaxed. He started moving forward on his own. I was happy, so I just bided my time until it was time ask him to go. By the turn, I asked him to go forward and he did and he kept kicking in until the end. He really stays. At the 1/8 pole, I asked him a couple times and he kept coming; kept grinding."

The $500,000 Ford Ogden Phipps Stakes (G1) featured a field of 6 older fillies and mares going 1 1/16 miles around 1 turn of the main track, and is a Breeders' Cup Challenge race in the Distaff division. Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) and La Troienne (G1) winner Idiomatic was the 7-10 favorite over 9-2 second choice Raging Sea, winner of the Doubledogdare (G3), and 6-1 third choice Randomized, second in the Ruffian (G2) after finishing second in the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1).

Jockey Joel Rosario sent Randomized to the lead first time by through fractions of 24.34, 48.99, and 1:12.59 while pressed by 17-1 longest shot Tizzy in the Sky and stalked by Idiomatic. Into the stretch Randomized continued to lead and held off Idiomatic late to win by a head in 1:49.58. It was a long 4 1/2 lengths back to 13-2 fourth choice Pretty Mischievous third.
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Left: Randomized heads to the winner's circle. Winning trainer Chad Brown said, "She looked like she was the horse she wanted to be, on the lead and at Saratoga where she had her biggest win (2023 Alabama). It was hard to see because there were no fractions on the TV, so I didn't know how fast she was going. When he [Joel Rosario] came off the turn it looked like he was sitting pretty good and Idiomatic [No. 5] was being asked a little bit. I thought that it would still be close but that would at least allow us separation in the middle of the stretch. It proved to get there [the front] for us."

Right: Randomized returns after the race. Winning jockey Joel Rosario said, "She's quick out of the gate. She maintained the speed, so that was good. I was begging for the wire because [Idiomatic] was coming. I was sure at some point she was going to challenge me. She kind of waited until the last part. So I was sweating a little bit, but she got the job done." 

The $500,000 Mohegan Sun Woody Stephens Stakes (G1) featured 11 three-year-olds sprinting 7 furlongs on the main track. Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) fifth place finisher Prince of Monaco was the 8-5 favorite over 11-4 second choice Book'em Danno, second in the Saudi Derby (G3), and 13-2 third choice Nash, second in the Pat Day Mile (G2)

Jockey Tyler Gaffalione sent 33-1 Barksdale to the lead out of the chute through fractions of 21.37 and 43.08 while pressed by 23-1 Frost Free and stalked by 9-1 Imagination. Into the lane Barksdale tired as Book'em Danno, 6th early under Irad Ortiz Jr., swept to the lead 4 wide through 3/4 in 1:08.27. Book'em Danno held off late-running favorite Prince of Monaco to win by 1/2 a length in 1:21.30. It was another 1 1/4 lengths back to 20-1 Nutella Fella third.
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Left: Book'em Danno in the winner's circle. Winning trainer Derek Ryan, celebrating his first Grade 1 win said, "The one-hole is always a worry going seven-eighths. But when you have Irad Ortiz you don't have to worry. That's the key. He ran a hard race. We give him a little break after Saudi. The plan was always this race. I already knew I was coming here. It was the whole plan for his summer campaign and hopefully, back to the desert in the spring."

Right: Book'em Danno returns after the race. Winning jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. said, "They were going fast. The horse relaxed. When I started moving, he started finding really well on the turn. He started responding really, really good on the turn so that helped a lot. Turning for home, I was still in a hold, then I asked him, and he gave me a good kick at the end. That was great. I had a clear path. I didn't want to be in his way. I hit him a couple times with my right hand, and he went inside, so I didn't fight him. I let him be happy." 

A field of 12 older horses contested the $500,000 Resolute Racing Jaipur Stakes (G1) at 5 1/2 furlongs on the Widener turf looking for automatic entry into the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. Twin Spires Turf Sprint (G2) winner Cogburn was sent off as the 2-1 favorite over 4-1 second choice Mischief Magic, 3rd in the Twin Spires Turf Sprint, and 9-2 third choice Star of Mystery, 2nd in the Al Quoz Sprint (G1).

Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. sent Cogburn to the front through fractions of 21.33 and 43.07 while pressed by 29-1 Sosua Summer and stalked by 33-1 longest shot Alogon. Into the stretch Cogburn kicked away from the field to win by 3 1/2 lengths over late-running 7-1 Arzak in a new course record time of 59.80. It was a neck back to Star of Mystery third.
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Left: Cogburn in the winner's circle. Winning jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. said, "So fast. I can't believe it. He was a rocket ship [out of the gate]. After that, I just sit on him and relax. When it was the time to go, turning for home, I felt like he was loaded. I asked him to go and he responded really well. I asked him and he gave me what he go, all the way to the wire. That was nice."

Right: The trophy presentation for the Jaipur Stakes. Winning trainer Steve Asmussen said, "I've had some of the fastest horses in the world, some of the fastest horses of all time, and he's still the first one I've ever had run five-and-a-half furlongs in under a minute. Five and a half furlongs in under a minute. That's not five-eighths five, that's five-and-a-half. That's basically a sixteenth of a mile faster than a fast horse."

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