Union Rags slipped through on the inside of Paynter to capture the Belmont Stakes (Harold Roth/Horsephotos.com)

Chadds Ford Stable's Union Rags encountered trouble in both the Grade 1 Florida Derby and Kentucky Derby, but a jockey switch to John Velazquez and better trip on Saturday saw the Dixie Union colt capture the $1 million Belmont Stakes by a neck for trainer Michael Matz. The bay sophomore was sent off the 5-2 second choice in the 1 1/2-mile "Test of the Champion" and stopped the clock in 2:30 2/5 over Belmont Park's fast dirt to earn just his second win of the year.

"I knew. I had a dream. I knew he would make it," said Union Rags' 71-year-old owner, Phyllis Wyeth. "I only have that racehorse and half of another, a claimer. And I knew Michael (Matz) could do it with him. It was my dream and he made it come true today. He and Johnny (Velazquez).

"I knew he could do it. And nobody would have gotten through on the rail other than Johnny today, I can tell you that. That was unbelievable. He just said 'Move over, I'm coming.' He believed in the horse. And Michael got him there."

Phyllis Wyeth welcomed her Belmont Stakes victor into the winner's circle (Harold Roth/Horsephotos.com)

Jockey Mike Smith sent Paynter straight to the front through splits of :23 3/5, :49 1/5, 1:14 3/5, 1:38 4/5 and 2:04 1/5 in the Belmont. Velazquez kept Union Rags down on the inside running in midpack on the backstretch, and the colt began advancing entering the turn. Still maintaining his position on the rail, the bay inched forward as Paynter left plenty of room for him to slip through and just get his neck in front on the line.

"He just worked so unbelievable, I was just hoping he could put that work into this race and he did," Velazquez said. "I was very proud of him. Just to be home (in New York) this was my opportunity here. It was incredible; there aren't words to describe it.

"It's incredible (to win this race for trainer Michael Matz). They liked this horse for so long, and for him to finally rise up to the top again, I'm very, very happy for him.

"I guess I'm the lucky one. I guess that's the only way to describe it," Velazquez remarked when asked about winning a Triple Crown race for the second year in a row aboard a pick-up mount. "I guess what is meant to be for you is meant to be for you."

Union Rags (inside) brought prior winning experience at Belmont Park into Saturday's race compliments of his Champagne victory as a juvenile (Melissa Wirth/Horsephotos.com)

The talented runner-up, who was second in the Grade 3 Derby Trial and fourth behind Kentucky Derby and Preakness hero I'll Have Another in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby, had 1 3/4 lengths to spare over Atigun.

"(Jockey Mike Smith) will probably take a lot of heat for (letting Union Rags up the rail)," Baffert added. "It's a jockey thing. He didn't want to give up the rail. But you know what, he did a tremendous job. The outside horse had that horse trapped. Johnny (Velazquez), you have to give him credit. He was patient and he just waited. He knew sometimes that happens in these big races."

"He ran tremendous," a downcast Smith said. "(Union Rags) just shouldn't have gotten through on me. I'd like to see what the outcome would have been if he wouldn't have. I haven't had the chance (to talk to Bob Baffert). I'm sure he doesn't want to speak to me right now."

Atigun swung wide rounding the turn and put in a game run on the outside to take third by 5 1/2 lengths over Street Life. Five Sixteen came in fifth and was followed under the wire by Unstoppable U, 5-2 favorite Dullahan, My Adonis, Ravelo's Boy, Optimizer and Guyana Star Dweej, who was eased.

"I'm not going to make excuses for him," trainer Dale Romans said of his beaten favorite, Dullahan. "I said all along I thought he could handle the dirt.

"I think it puts Union Rags in the picture for an Eclipse Award, I would think. There's a lot of year left, and with I'll Have Another out, it's definitely in his own hands."

Only a neck separated Union Rags (inside) and Paynter on the Belmont wire (Cecilia Gustavsson/Horsephotos.com)

Union Rags opened his racing career with three straight easy wins, taking his maiden debut at Delaware Park before traveling to New York to add the Grade 2 Saratoga Special and Grade 1 Champagne Stakes to his resume. His record now stands at 8-5-1-1 and he's banked $1,798,800 in lifetime earnings.

"We always thought this horse had Triple Crown potential when we trained him," Matz said. "We gave him four races as a two-year-old and we gave him a rest and we had a good plan. He never missed a beat. And his first race was, couldn't have been any easier. He got in trouble the second race and the third race, so, I mean, I do really think that this horse, when he has a clean trip and can show himself, he is one of the best three-year-olds of this crop. And whether he could have done something against I'll Have Another, I don't know, but it sure would have been fun to see.

Union Rags is out of the winning Gone West mare Tempo, making him a full brother to the stakes-placed Geefour. Union Rags is also a half-brother to the winning Tempo West, the dam of French stakes hero Vertiformer and stakes-placed War Pact.