Race favorite Mo Donegal surges to win Belmont Stakes

A few months after maybe the most unlikely Kentucky Derby winner ever, the favorite took the win at the Belmont Stakes.

Mo Donegal, which entered the race as a 5-2 favorite, surged down the stretch to win the 2022 Belmont Stakes. It was a 1-2 victory for owner Mike Repole and trainer Todd Pletcher, as their filly Nest also placed. Skippylongstocking filled out the podium at third.

We The People, entering the race at 7-2, held the lead for the first mile or so, but eventually faded to fourth.

Here's the winning moment for Mo Donegal:

The biggest disappointment was that of unlikely Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike, which entered the race at 4-1 odds. After skipping the Preakness Stakes to focus on the Belmont, the horse looked agitated as he walked to the starting gate and ended up spending much of the race in last place.

Rich Strike was in a similar position during the Derby, but the magic clearly wasn't there again. The horse ultimately finished sixth out of eight.