The Lead:
The prestigious $1 million Metropolitan Handicap, the Met Mile, highlights Saturday's Belmont Stakes Day undercard at Saratoga. The 14-race card includes 7 major stakes, featuring the final jewel in the Triple Crown. We've got you covered for that one in the free 1/ST Belmont Stakes Wager Guide. But the Race 11 Met Mile is annually one of my favorite races and will be the focus here.

​​Field Depth:
Grade 1 winners NYSOS, JOURNALISM, ANTIQUARIAN and SAUDI CROWN are among the field of 7. KNIGHTSBRIDGE is a multiple Grade 3 winner. Knocking off the G1 winners here will be a tall ask.
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Pace:
Sprinter RATED BY MERIT, rapid miler SAUDI CROWN, KNIGHTSBRIDGE and inside-drawn VIBE and NYSOS should all employ some degree of early speed and provide a rapid pace. A strong finisher has every chance if he fires.
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Our Eyes:
Here are my horse-by-horse notes.

1-NYSOS: The Baffert-Prat tandem won this race 2 years ago with National Treasure and this big-time threat is only 1-1/4 lengths from perfection from 9 starts. He’s 44-and-change fast when necessary but hasn’t shown that kind of pace of late. Expect some early ask from the rail coming out of the chute as this one has been freshened since February and working fast as you’d expect for the barn. Horses cutting back in trip, like he and Journalism in this field, win 16% in Saratoga chute races (13% for those returning at a mile, 12% for those stretching out off their most-recent race).

2-VIBE: Improving class riser scratched from last week’s Blame Stakes at Churchill for this more difficult test, a sign the horse should be doing well. Outran a graded-stakes winner in Bullard on the Kentucky Derby undercard, so there’s some measure of quality. But there are in a different league. Has employed a first-over trip to win 3 straight but will have to work very hard to get that kind of journey Saturday.

3-ANTIQUARIAN: Deep-closing Jockey Club Gold Cup winner over this surface last year at 10 furlongs surprised me by his handiness to win the 1-turn Westchester last out at Aqueduct, beating Cigar Mile hero Bishops Bay. John Velazquez wins 26% in Saratoga chute races so he’ll give him every chance in a Met Mile he’s won 5 times downstate. Todd Pletcher won this race with more brilliant Quality Road and Palace Malice. Likely to be overlooked, but not without a chance behind a great pace set-up.

4-SAUDI CROWN: $3.6 million earner flutters between elite race placements and easier spots, diving back into the deep end Saturday after scoring twice this season against lesser competition. The 2023 Jim Dandy runner-up was solid in his only previous Spa appearance and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. is a 24% winner from the Saratoga chute, while Brad Cox has won 6 of 18 such races (33%). Does his best work on the lead, and that makes for a more difficult assignment while other pace abounds.

5-RATED BY MERIT: Brings sprint speed to the Met Mile and has made the lead in 5 of 6 career starts. Suffered his only defeat last out in the Grade 2 Carter when fourth, his only start since October’s win in the Discovery. Chad Brown trainee gets Dylan Davis on a rider change and will be the biggest price of his career while facing easily his stiffest test. He certainly plays a role in how the race will be run (and likely won).

6-KNIGHTSBRIDGE: The air came out of the tires on Kentucky Derby Day when he faded through the lane to finish sixth in the Churchill Downs Stakes. That snapped a 4-race winning streak that saw him win a trio of Grade 3 stakes. His series of 3 workouts since that last start indicate he’s no worse for the wear and a rebound candidate. This field looks tougher overall and there’s no shortage of early heat, but the pace probably won’t be as sharp over a mile as it was at 7 furlongs, and that chould keep him in the hunt. Bill Mott and Junior Alvarado teamed to win the 2023 Met Mile with Cody’s Wish.

7-JOURNALISM: Classy 2025 Belmont Stakes runner-up was a clear-cut second in his only try over the Saratoga surface and returns while making his second start of the ’26 season. All 6 career wins (and 11 of 12 starts) have come in traditional, 2-turn races; the mile chute configuration here and trip are the obvious hurdles. Lost his composure in the gate at Oaklawn in his only try this year so it will be important to see if he keeps his cool pre-race. Loading last could work to his benefit, and nobody is riding better than Jose Ortiz, who teams back up with Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo in Saturday’s Belmont Stakes. The pace scenario should suit his tenacious style and note the Californians have won both Met Mile editions held at Saratoga – National Treasure in 2024 (Bob Baffert) and Raging Torrent in 2025 (Doug O’Neill).

Most Likely Exotics Contender:
JOURNALISM is 12-12 in the superfecta lifetime, experienced over the track and gets a positive race shape in front of him to rally.

Best Longshot Contender:
ANTIQUARIAN at 6-1 morning line isn’t a huge price, but is off the radar as fourth choice and would not surprise to be in the exacta.
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Sending it in ($100 bankroll):
$75 win JOURNALISM. $25 exacta JOURNALISM-ANTIQUARIAN.