The third jewel of horse racing's Triple Crown went to an upset winner in Dornoch, as he earned first place in the Belmont Stakes and held off hard-charging Mindframe for the historic victory.

Dornoch, co-owned by former Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Jayson Werth, won the Belmont by sticking close to the rail while Mindframe took a much wider route in the 1 1/4-mile race. Dornoch was ridden by jockey Luis Saez and won the race at odds of 17-1.

The Belmont Stakes is normally held at Belmont Park in Elmont, Long Island, but that racetrack is undergoing a major renovation. This year's race was held at the legendary Saratoga Race Track in upstate New York. Next year's race will also be held at Saratoga before returning to its previous home in 2026.

The race is normally a 1 1/2-mile endurance test for the best three-year-olds in the nation. However, since the race was at a much smaller venue, the distance was reduced to 1 1/4 miles. Belmont Park is a much bigger track than Saratoga, and that's why it can handle the greater distance.

Werth overjoyed at the victory

Former Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Jayson Werth looks on before game four of the 2022 World Series against the Houston Astros at Citizens Bank Park.
Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

The former Phillies outfielder saw his horse stalk leader Seize the Grey on the turn for home and pass him during the stretch run.

Werth extolled his love of horse racing after his charge was victorious in the legendary race. “Horse racing is the most underrated sport in the world, bar none,” Werth said. “This is as good as it gets in horse racing; this is as good as it gets in sports.”

Trainer Danny Gargan was not surprised by Dornoch's performance even though he was considered a longshot by horse players at the venerable track and at remote sites.

“He's one of the top 3-year-olds in the country, and we've always thought it,” Gargan said. “We let him run his race and he won. If he gets to run, he's always going to be tough to beat.”

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Saez not surprised at Dornoch's triumph

Saez's perspective was similar to Gargan's because he knew Dornoch was a quality horse the first time he rode the horse last summer.

“When I rode this horse here in Saratoga for the first time (last July), I told Danny, ‘You have the Derby winner,’ ” Saez said. “Unfortunately, the Derby’s a crazy race and we draw that No. 1 hole. Today, we have pretty good confidence that we could win this race.”

Dornoch was never able to get comfortable in the Churchill Downs race, but he was dynamic in the Belmont Stakes.

It looked like Mindframe might go by Dornoch at the quarter pole, but as the runner-up got closer to the winner, he began to drift to the outside. While Mindframe could not keep his line, Saez guided Dornoch without issue.

Dornoch won the race by a half-length and finished with a time of 2:01.64. Sierra Leone was favored in the race, and he finished third, a full length behind Mindframe.

Dornoch paid $37.40 to those who backed him with a $2 wager.