The Grade 1, $500,000- dollar Champagne Stakes is Saturday at the new Belmont Park.
A field of six 2-year-olds will have a go at the one-turn mile, which offers a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on October 30th and some minor qualifying points for the 2027 Kentucky Derby.
All six of these youngsters are seeking their first Stakes victory, and all but two of them are making their first appearance in a race beyond their Maiden victory. Three of them got their only victory at Monmouth Park, and the other three won at Saratoga.
Here is a brief look at that field:
1. JOHNNY HOCKEY [ML 30-1] Trainer: Antonio Arriaga. Jockey: Katie Davis. Needed five starts to get his Maiden victory and did it at Monmouth Park in August with a front-end effort. Last seen, he was a non-threatening 5th in the Skidmore on the turf at Saratoga.
2. RAKU [ML 12-1] Trainer: Kelly Breen. Jockey: Paco Lopez. Was a debut winner at Monmouth in July against a field of six racing on the lead at 2-1. He then pressed the pace in the Sapling going a two-turn mile at the Jersey Shore track and got to the lead, but he missed by a nose after a stretch duel and was well clear of the rest of the field.
3. GAUDREAU [ML 8-5] Trainer: Chad Brown. Jockey: Flavien Prat. In his only start he beat a stacked Maiden field. He was the 2-1 favorite in that Maiden at Saratoga in August. The son of NYQUIST has continued to train upstate since that race. Brown has five victories in the Champagne, the most recent being CHANCER MCPATRICK in 2024.
4. CLUB REIGN [ML 8-1] Trainer: Whit Beckman. Jockey: Edgard Zayas. Was also a debut winner of an August maiden race at Saratoga. He beat a field of seven at 8-1 while racing on the lead and drew off to win by six lengths. He sold at auction in April at Ocala for $475,000.
5. U.S.S. VALOR [ML 3-5] Trainer: Shug McGaughey. Jockey: Manny Franco. Overwhelmed a field of seven at 4-5 at Saratoga on closing weekend. He was geared down and still won by more than 13 lengths going seven furlongs. He earned a 105 Beyer Speed Figure in that effort, the highest for any 2-year-old in 2026.
6. EARTH SONG [ML 15-1] Trainer: Jorge Delgado. Jockey: Ricardo Santana Jr. Lived up to his 4-5 odds in his first start which was at Monmouth last month. The son of JUSTIFY scared away the competition and beat only two others by more than 11 lengths.
The Champagne Stakes is slated as race 8 on a card of 11 with a scheduled Post Time of 3:55.
Best of luck however you play it.
