Watch: 'Surreal' win for New York owner as Mo Donegal wins Belmont Stakes

Saturday: Belmont

Mo Donegal produced a stunning performance to win the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, with trainer Todd Pletcher and co-owner Mike Repole enjoying a historic 1-2 in the final leg of the Triple Crown.

The son of Uncle Mo, who had finished fifth in the Kentucky Derby last month and started 13-5 favourite, took the step up in trip in his stride to beat stablemate Nest by three lengths under Irad Ortiz.

It was an extra special success for an emotional Repole, who grew up in the Queens suburb of New York, while it was a fourth win in the race for Pletcher.

Repole said: "It's surreal. It really is. I've been coming to the races at Aqueduct and Belmont for years and Saratoga when I could get a car. It was meant to be.

11.40 Belmont: Belmont Stakes full result

"To give Todd his fourth Belmont is really, really special, especially to win it with a son of Uncle Mo. Todd always said he was one of the most talented horses he's ever had. To have this horse in my silks is pretty special."

Pletcher joined mentor and fellow Hall of Fame trainer D Wayne Lukas on four Belmont Stakes victories and the New York-based trainer also revelled in his local success.

"It's our family's favourite race," he said. "Our kids grew up here and went to school here, we've always felt like it's our hometown race. The hometown feel adds some specialness to it.

"We have certain things we want to do, such as coming here immediately after the Derby and getting the horses settled in and trained over the track. It's a similar pattern we follow each time.

"It's not rocket science. We are trying to take advantage of being at home."

Rich Strike, who became the second longest-priced winner of the Kentucky Derby when scoring at 80-1 at Churchill Downs, could not add a second Triple Crown win to his name and trailed in a disappointing sixth of the eight runners under Sonny Leon.

Trainer Eric Reed said: "The pace was slow but he had him where he wanted to be. He wasn't the same horse."

'He's the whole package' - Flightline cruises to easy win

On a card with eight Grade 1s - only the Saturday of the Breeders' Cup can boast as many - Flightline showed why he is one of the most exciting horses on the planet when extending his unbeaten record to four with a dominant victory in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap.

The John Sadler-trained four-year-old had not been seen since winning the Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita on Boxing Day last year, but made up for lost time with an unchallenged six-length success under Flavien Prat.

Flightline was slowly away and trailed big rival Speaker's Corner early, but he got on top rounding the final turn and powered away to beat Happy Saver by six lengths, with Speaker's Corner another two and three-quarter lengths back in third.

Flightline is now four from four, with a combined winning margin of more than 43 lengths.

"It's really gratifying to get here after the hiccup we had with him," said Sadler. "We had plenty of time to train him for this, but he's such an athlete.

"The Met Mile is such a historic and stallion-making race and he's all of those things. He's the whole package."

Elsewhere, Jack Christopher also remained unbeaten with a stunning ten-length success in the Woody Stephens Stakes over seven furlongs.

Trainer Chad Brown said: "This horse is an exceptional talent. This is my 15th year of training and I've never had a dirt horse with this much pure brilliance. He's just a brilliant horse that could probably run any distance."

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