2025 Jim Dandy Stakes Preview at Saratoga Race Course

Key Takeaways:

• Sovereignty is the clear one to beat after Derby and Belmont wins, especially with new tactical speed.
• Mo Plex may control the pace and is a real threat to wire this small field.
• Baeza has back class and could pounce if he gets a more forward trip.
• Sandman adds blinkers and reunites with Jose Ortiz—watch for a bounce-back.

Even though the Grade 2, $500,000 Jim Dandy on Saturday, July 26 at Saratoga Race Course drew a field of just five, those runners are a true who’s who of the sophomore dirt division this year. The leader is, of course, Sovereignty: winner of both the Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May and the Belmont Stakes five weeks later. He faces Baeza once more—the third-place finisher in both of those races.

Everyone else in the field is a graded-stakes winner. Sandman won the Arkansas Derby (G1) and was third in the Preakness. Mo Plex comes in off of an Ohio Derby (G3) win, and Hill Road won the Peter Pan (G3) two back. The entire field has been keeping quality company this year. Though Sovereignty will be a well-defined favorite, he will have to be on form to extend his win streak through the Jim Dandy, Saratoga’s local prep for the Grade 1 Travers Stakes (G1) on August 23.

2025 Jim Dandy Stakes Information

• Race Date: Saturday, July 26
• Track: Saratoga Race Course
• Post Time: 5:41 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time
• Distance: 1 ⅛ miles on the dirt
• Age/Sex: three-year-olds
• Where to Watch: FanDuel Racing, Fox
• Where to Bet: FanDuel Racing

Jim Dandy Stakes Draw and Odds

This is the field for the 2025 edition of the Jim Dandy Stakes, including post positions, trainers, jockeys, and morning-line odds for each horse in the field.

Jim Dandy Stakes Prep Race Results

Four of the five horses in the Jim Dandy make their first starts since the Triple Crown series.

Three of the runners come out of the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga on June 7. Best of those finishers was Sovereignty, who set up closer to the pace than usual and kicked away to win by three lengths over Journalism. Baeza tracked toward the rear of a compact pack and chased on in the lane, crossing the wire third behind Sovereignty. Hill Road, settled even further back, chased mildly for fifth of the eight in the final jewel of the Triple Crown.

Sandman has gotten a little more time to freshen up, as he has not raced since the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on May 17. Settled in last through the early stages of that race, he made a wide rally, checking in third behind Journalism and Gosger.

The only Jim Dandy entrant who did not contest any of the sophomore classic races was Mo Plex. He won his second career graded-stakes race when he stalked and pounced in the Ohio Derby at Thistledown on June 21.

Jim Dandy Stakes Contenders

These are the five runners in the 2025 Jim Dandy, in order of their post positions.

1. Baeza: Though Baeza is the only horse in the field without a graded-stakes victory to his name yet, he has a classy resume no matter what. Three back in the Santa Anita Derby (G1), he crossed the wire just three-quarters of a length behind Journalism, and 8 ½ lengths clear of the rest. He then rallied for third in two legs of the Triple Crown, both the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes. The slight cutback in trip puts him right back at the same distance as the Santa Anita Derby, and if he can rediscover his more forward style breaking from the rail in a field of just five, he could be the one Sovereignty has to try and catch late.
2. Sandman: This Mark Casse trainee is the most experienced runner in the field, with ten starts so far. It’s a solid opportunity for Casse to try the new blinkers—he has settled in as a closer, which isn’t likely to be the winning trip in this race, but early in his career, he showed pace in some one-turn maiden races, and this will be his first time racing in blinkers. The slight turnback in trip is a good thing, as the Jim Dandy is the same distance as the Arkansas Derby was. It’s also a good sign that he gets Jose Ortiz back; Ortiz won the Arkansas Derby with him, and the only reason he didn’t ride in the Preakness is that he was also Clever Again’s rider and Clever Again was committed to the Preakness first.
3. Mo Plex: Mo Plex has class to prove; he hasn’t tried top-level company since running third in the Champagne (G1) last year. But, he has been trained along well as three, taking gradual steps forward in form from a New York-bred stakes in his seasonal debut, to a win in the one-turn Bay Shore in April, to an even better win in the 1 ⅛-mile Ohio Derby against open company. In a five-horse field, speed is dangerous, and M Plex is the horse in the field who has the speed. Manny Franco rode him forward in their two starts together, and the likelihood of a pace advantage makes Mo Plex a good spoiler candidate.
4. Hill Road: We know what we’re going to get with Hill Road—a late run. He seems like a pace-dependent closer: if the pace isn’t hot, he can run okay, but he really does need at least an honest pace to be any kind of a win candidate. And, even with some horses like Baeza or even Sandman or Sovereignty possible to track in range, an honest-to-goodness pace battle seems unlikely. Hill Road is consistent enough that he will probably be running on to close up some ground late, but given the tactical pace and the quality of his foes, it’s still hard to see him as more than a minor contender for the low rungs of exotics.
5. Sovereignty: The class of the sophomores, Sovereignty comes out of victories in both the Kentucky Derby and Belmont, where he beat Journalism—who has since franked the form by coming back to win the Haskell (G1) at Monmouth Park over Gosger. Most interesting about Sovereignty is the way he won the Belmont Stakes: instead of rallying from the clouds, he was able to track in close range of a pace that was on the slow side, and rally in the lane to win by three lengths. If he didn’t have that dimension, the Jim Dandy would look like a tough ask even for a horse of this class. But, if Sovereignty can reprise the running style he showed in the Belmont, it would be no surprise for his class to carry the day.

Jim Dandy Stakes FAQ

Here are answers to commonly-asked questions about the Jim Dandy Stakes.

Q: When is the Jim Dandy Stakes?

A: The Jim Dandy will be run Saturday, June 26 at 5:41 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.

Q: Where is the Jim Dandy?

A: The race takes place at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. It is carded as the tenth race on Saturday’s 12-race card at the Spa, a card that also includes the Lake George (G3), a 1 1/16-mile turf race for sophomore fillies.

Q: Which trainer has the most wins in the Jim Dandy?

A: Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher has won the Jim Dandy more than anyone. He has eight wins dating back to 2000, including the last two editions with Forte (2023) and Fierceness (2024). However, Pletcher does not have a horse in the Jim Dandy this year. Among trainers who do, the only one who has won before is Bill Mott. He has four victories, most recently with Good Samaritan in 2017.

Q: Who is the favorite for the Jim Dandy?

A: Coming off of confident wins in two jewels of the Triple Crown, Sovereignty was named the 2-5 favorite in the Jim Dandy and should hold as the betting favorite come post time.

Q: Who is the best Jim Dandy jockey?

A: John Velazquez has five wins in the Jim Dandy, the most in history; that most recent win came in 2024 with Fierceness. He does not have a call in the race in 2025. Among jockeys who do, two have won twice. Irad Ortiz, Jr. won with Tax (2019) and Forte (2023) and he can take a third if Hill Road wins. Jose Ortiz, who won the Jim Dandy with Laoban (2016) and Mystic Guide (2020), can win a third with Sandman.

Q: Who won the Jim Dandy in 2024?

A: Fierceness won the Jim Dandy for trainer Todd Pletcher and jockey John Velazquez, and would go on to win the Travers Stakes in his next start. Neither Pletcher nor Velazquez is in the 2025 Jim Dandy, however.

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