The final Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course is officially in the books, and the third leg of the Triple Crown will return to its regular home at Belmont Park next year. As always, I am sharing my photos from the festival in a series of blog posts. Once again, I had the privilege of shooting for The Saratoga Special. Click here to view all editions online. Fourth up in my series is the paddock, featuring photos taken in the minutes leading up to post time during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. Click here to view all the posts in this series.
Lauren Arias, assistant to trainer Wesley Ward, ponies New York-bred Shoot It True into the paddock for the Grade II Intercontinental Stakes, where she finished third.
Intercontinental winner Roja is led around the paddock prior to the race.
Jockey Juan Hernández, a regular rider on the west coast, enters the paddock before the Intercontinental.
Grade II Belmont Gold Cup winner Tawny Port is led around the paddock prior to the race.
Trainer Chad Brown gives jockey Flavien Prat a leg up on Fitz Right, winner of the Grade II Wonder Again Stakes.
Grade I Acorn Stakes winner Counting Stars is led around the paddock prior to the race.
Grade I New York Stakes winner Portfolio Duration is led around the paddock prior to the race.
Grade I Ogden Phipps Stakes winner Nitrogen is led out to the track for the race.
Jockey José Ortiz had a memorable Belmont weekend, winning the Belmont Stakes, Ogden Phipps Stakes, and Woody Stephens Stakes, all grade 1 affairs.
Grade I Just a Game Stakes winner Classic Q is led around the paddock prior to the race.
Belmont Stakes-winning trainer Cherie DeVaux and her assistant Enrique Miranda observe a horse in the paddock.
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert sent out Nysos to win the Grade I Met Mile.
Grade III True North Stakes winner Book’em Danno is walked around the paddock by co-owner Mark Rubenstein prior to the race.
Grade I Jaipur Stakes winner Reef Runner is led into the paddock before the race.
Grade I Woody Stephens Stakes winner Englishman is led around the paddock prior to the race.
Met Mile winner Nysos is led into the paddock before the race.
Met Mile runner up Knightsbridge is led into the paddock before the race.
Journalism, completing the Met Mile trifecta, is led into the paddock before the race with trainer Michael McCarthy behind him.
Flavien Prat heads out to the track on Nysos.
Trainer Graham Motion heads into the paddock before the Grade I Manhattan Stakes, where he sent out Test Score and One Stripe to respective second and third place finishes.
Trainer Will Walden enters the paddock before the Manhattan, followed by his horse Rhetorical, who finished fourth in the race.
Grade I Manhattan Stakes winner Deterministic is walked around the paddock prior to the race.
Jockey Kendrick Carmouche enters the paddock prior to the Manhattan, which he won onboard Deterministic.
Jockey Gavin Lerena, who made the trip from South Africa to ride in the Manhattan, enters the paddock. His mount, One Stripe, finished third.
Deterministic is led out to the track for the Manhattan.
Belmont Stakes third place finisher Renegade is walked around the paddock prior to the race.
Belmont Stakes runner up Commandment is walked around the paddock prior to the race.
Trainer Cherie DeVaux saddles Belmont Stakes winner Golden Tempo for the race.
Assistant trainer Enrique Miranda (left) and groom José Hernández lead Golden Tempo out to the track with José Ortiz onboard.
To see more of my equine photography be sure to follow me on X, Instagram and Facebook. All photos in this post © Samantha Decker and may not be reused without permission.
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