Nysos at 9-5 is the deserving favorite in the $1 million Metropolitan Handicap (G1) on Saturday at Saratoga.
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The Met Mile, as the race is commonly known, is part of the stakes-laden card leading up to the Belmont Stakes (G1). For many horse racing fans, the Met Mile takes a back seat to a few older-horse stakes at any track at any time of year.
2026 Belmont Stakes Odds Official post positions set following the post-position draw on Monday, June 1, 2026. PP Horse / Trainer Morning Line 1 Vitruvian ManAntonio Fresu · D. O’Neill 30/1 2 PowershiftLuis Saez · T. Pletcher 12/1 3 Chief WallabeeJunior Alvarado · W. Mott 3/1 4 RenegadeIrad Ortiz Jr. · T. Pletcher 2/1 5 OttinhoDylan Davis · C. Brown 20/1 6 Growth EquityManny Franco · C. Brown 12/1 7 CommandmentJohn Velazquez · B. Cox 6/1 8 Emerging MarketFlavien Prat · C. Brown 6/1 9 Golden TempoJose Ortiz · C. DeVaux 9/2Last Updated on 06/01/2026
Met Mile Betting: Tough test for all running styles
Ideal. The venerable race, presented for the 133rd time, is an ideal test at a perfect time of year. The mile forces classic distance runners like Journalism to shorten up and sharpen up their natural speed. It’s an extended test for sprinters who stretch beyond their 6- and 7-furlong comfort zones. And it’s a demanding challenge for natural milers.
Put it all together, and you get a great tradition and an excellent contest with an added incentive. The Met Mile is a Breeders’ Cup “Win, and You’re In” challenge race guaranteeing the winner a berth in the Dirt Mile (G1) in October at Keeneland.
Is Met Mile an ideal spot for Nysos?
It looks like an ideal spot for Nysos, the defending BC Dirt Mile champion. The 5-year-old trained by Bob Baffert is 7-for-9 in his stellar career with earnings approaching $5 million.
He last saw action in February in the $20 million Saudi Cup (G1), where he finished second by only a length to international star Forever Young at 1 1/8 miles. The cutback here should fit him like a snug glove.
“He’s going to have to run well. They come out of the chute here, which can be a little tricky, but the horse is doing really well,” said Baffert, who won the Met Mile with Mor Spirit in 2017 and National Treasure in 2024, both by 6 1/4 lengths.
“We know he’s a really good horse,” Baffert said. “We’re in it for the excitement and fun and to be part of a great weekend. If you can do it, it’s an honor to win the Met Mile.”
If there is a knock on Nysos, it’s the fact that all of his wins have been in California. The two career losses, both second-place efforts, came in Saudi Arabia and at Churchill Downs.
Will Journalism Enjoy Distance Cutback?
While Nysos is comfortable at the distance, the shorter race is a question mark for Journalism (5-2). Fans remember him as one of the outstanding 3-year-olds last season with Grade 1 wins in the Santa Anita Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Haskell Stakes.
This will be his shortest distance since his maiden win in November of 2024.
“He’s a happy horse. He’s a healthy horse, and his training has gone to plan,” trainer Mike McCarthy said. “I’m looking forward to seeing how he does cutting back to a mile.”
We’re also looking forward to it, but we’re not sure it’s the best investment of our betting capital. On the plus side, he does have experience on the track, finishing second to Horse of the Year Sovereignty in last year’s Belmont.
“It is interesting to cut back to one mile. This is a race we’ve had on our radar for quite some time,” McCarthy said. “This is a stallion-making race; he’s already made himself a stallion, but this would certainly add to his resume. He ran a very credible race last year in the Belmont here.”
Let’s add a little spice to our tickets with Vibe (15-1). Yes, it’s extremely ambitious to make your stakes debut in the Met Mile. It was not a tough call for trainer Todd Pletcher, as the horse is based in Saratoga and the colt is a perfect 3-for-3 at a mile, posting dominant wins.
Pletcher also saddles Antiquarian, winner of the 1-mile Westchester Stakes (G3) in his most recent start.
Post time for the Met Mile is 5:32 p.m. ET (race 11).
The Picks: 1 Nysos, 2 Journalism, 3 Vibe
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The Field for the $1 million Metropolitan Handicap (G1), from the rail out, with jockey, trainer, odds:
Nysos (Flavien Prat, Bob Baffert), 9-5 Vibe (Luis Saez, Todd Pletcher), 15-1 Antiquarian (John Velazquez, Todd Pletcher), 6-1 Saudi Crown (Irad Ortiz, Jr., Brad Cox), 8-1 Rated by Merit (Dylan Davis, Chad Brown), 10-1 Knightsbridge (Junior Alvarado, Bill Mott), 7-2 Journalism (Jose Ortiz, Michael McCarthy), 5-2The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
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