Russell Wilson’s co-owned colt Club Reign will return to the track at Belmont Park on October 3 for the 81st running of the Champagne Stakes, a Grade 1 race with a $500,000 purse. The race, a one-mile dirt contest for 2-year-olds, is set to begin at 3:53 p.m. ET and will air on FS1.
Club Reign made a strong impression when he won his career debut on Travers Day at Saratoga Race Course in August. The colt is co-owned by Wilson’s Three Brand Racing and trained by Whit Beckman, with Edgard Zayas set to ride. Wilson and his wife, music star Ciara, celebrated the victory in the winner’s circle alongside their child, marking a memorable moment for the couple at Saratoga Springs.
The Champagne Stakes is a respected event often used as a stepping stone toward the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and the following year’s Triple Crown season. Since its inception in 1946, the race has seen winners such as Seattle Slew, Alydar, and Uncle Mo.
This year’s field features six horses, including two named in honor of the late NHL star Johnny Gaudreau, who died in 2024 alongside his brother Matthew in a tragic cycling accident. One colt named Gaudreau won his first career start at Saratoga on August 8, beating a competitive field that included U. S. S. Valor and Coach Pope. The other horse, Johnny Hockey, has raced six times with a maiden win at Monmouth Park and a fifth-place finish in the Skidmore Stakes at Saratoga.
U. S. S. Valor enters the race as the 3-5 morning-line favorite. Owned by Team Valor International and trained by Shug McGaughey, the colt broke his maiden by 13 ¼ lengths at Saratoga on September 5. He previously finished third behind Gaudreau and Coach Pope in early August.
The full list of horses includes Johnny Hockey (post position and odds not specified), Raku at 12-1 with trainer Kelly Breen and jockey Paco Lopez, Gaudreau at 8-5 with Chad Brown and Flavien Pratt, Club Reign at 8-1, U. S. S. Valor as the favorite at 3-5, and Earth Song at 15-1 with trainer Jorge Delgado and Ricardo Santana Jr. riding.
The Champagne Stakes will be the eighth race on the card at Belmont Park on October 3, with a TV schedule running on FS1 from noon until 4 p.m., followed by a YouTube stream until 4:30 p.m., and then FS2 coverage through the early evening.
Club Reign’s return to the track will be closely watched given his debut win and Wilson’s growing involvement in horse racing. The race carries historical weight as a proving ground for young horses aiming for major races later in the season and next year.
The last three winners of the Champagne Stakes were Napoleon Solo in 2025, Chancer McPatrick in 2024, and Timberlake in 2023. This year’s race will add to that lineage as Club Reign seeks to build on his promising start under the ownership of the NFL star and his entertainment-industry wife.
According to Yahoo Sports.
