“It’s very special, honestly,” Ortiz said after the match. “We were (were) very positive.” Racing in front of more than 46,000 people on the 1.5-mile track, Mo Donegal was the 5-2 favorite among the eight horses that entered the race. The horse ran around the track in 2 minutes and 28.28 seconds, comfortably overtaking Nest, who finished second, and Skippylongstocking, who finished third. With the victory, Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher won his fourth Belmont Stakes victory. After receiving the trophy from New York Governor Kathy Hotsul, Jerry Crawford, the founder of Donegal Racing, said Saturday’s victory “shows that the sport is more accessible to people than they think.” “You do not need to spend millions and millions on horses,” Crawford added. Rich Strike, who stunned the horse racing world after his victory in the Kentucky Derby, finished in sixth place. Early Voting, the winner of the Preakness Stakes, did not compete on Saturday.
