Jockey Jose Ortiz is fired up after crossing the finish line with Golden Tempo (9) at the 158th Belmont Stakes in Saratoga Springs NY Sat Jun 6, 2026. It was Golden Tempo’s second triple crown win winning the Kentucky Derby May 2, 2026 (AP News photo)
By Jessica Kwong
Golden Tempo closed from the back of the pack once again, surging through the stretch Saturday to win the 158th Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course and add a second Triple Crown race victory to an already historic season.
Under jockey Jose Ortiz, the Kentucky Derby winner covered 1 1/4 miles in 2:03.49 over a fast track, overtaking Commandment in the final furlong to capture the final leg of the Triple Crown. Renegade, the race favorite, finished third.
The victory capped another milestone for trainer Cherie DeVaux, who became the first woman to win multiple Triple Crown races after guiding Golden Tempo to victories in both the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes. She is the second female trainer to win the Belmont, following Jena Antonucci’s triumph with Arcangelo in 2023.
Golden Tempo broke from the outside post in the nine-horse field and settled at the very rear during the early stages as the leaders set a moderate pace. Ortiz kept the colt relaxed before asking for his run around the far turn. Golden Tempo responded with the same powerful late kick that carried him to victory at Churchill Downs five weeks earlier.
Commandment appeared poised for an upset after taking command entering the stretch, but Golden Tempo steadily reeled him in and drew clear to win by 1 1/4 lengths. Renegade, who went off as the 8-5 betting favorite after finishing second in the Kentucky Derby, could not match the winner’s acceleration and settled for third.
The result further established Golden Tempo as the leading 3-year-old in the country and provided another memorable moment for DeVaux, who was born in Saratoga Springs and celebrated the victory at the historic upstate New York venue.
“He needed to do this to show that he was meant to win the Derby, and that he is a horse that belongs in that conversation of being in the top 3-year-olds,” DeVaux said after the race.
The victory also renewed discussion about the Triple Crown that never materialized. After winning the Kentucky Derby, Golden Tempo skipped the Preakness Stakes to rest, ending any possibility of a sweep of the series. Questions about that decision resurfaced immediately after the Belmont.
Asked whether Golden Tempo might have had a chance to complete the Triple Crown had he run in Baltimore, DeVaux declined to look backward.
“We made our decision, and he won today, and we’re going to be happy about that,” said DeVaux. “It’s not something I want to think about.”
Instead, the focus remained on what Golden Tempo accomplished. The colt became the 13th horse to complete the Kentucky Derby-Belmont Stakes double and delivered another signature moment in a season already filled with them.
For DeVaux, the victory added to a groundbreaking year. Following her historic Kentucky Derby triumph, she spoke about the significance of her accomplishments for women in racing, saying, “I’m glad I can be representative of women everywhere. We can do anything we set our minds to.”
Saturday’s Belmont marked the third and final scheduled running of the race at Saratoga before its planned return to a newly renovated Belmont Park in 2027. The historic venue delivered one last memorable Triple Crown event, highlighted by another dramatic rally from a colt who has made a habit of saving his best for last.
Belmont Stakes 2026 Finishing Order:
1. Golden Tempo
2. Commandment
3. Renegade
4. Chief Wallabee
5. Emerging Market
6. Growth Equity
7. Vitruvian Man
8. Ottinho
9. Powershift
Sports Radio Service 