The Kentucky Derby champion Golden Tempo proved his doubters wrong once more, rallying from the back of the pack to seize victory in the 158th Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. It was a bookend to the Triple Crown season that few saw coming.
The race, held for the third consecutive year at the historic Saratoga Springs track, saw Golden Tempo enter as a 5-1 underdog. The morning line had him at 9-2, but bettors pushed his odds up as post time approached. Starting from Gate 9, the colt weaved through traffic and found his stride in the final furlongs, leaving the favored Renegade in his wake.
Renegade, the 9-5 favorite trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., had skipped the Preakness after finishing second to Golden Tempo in the Derby. He drew post position 4 and looked poised for redemption. But the extra rest did not translate into victory.
Chief Wallabee, trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, broke from post 3 with 5-1 odds after a fourth-place Derby finish. He battled gamely but could not match Golden Tempo’s closing kick.
Trainer Cherie DeVaux made it a day to remember at Saratoga. Earlier on the undercard, her colt Englishman won the Woody Stephens Stakes in track record time. Then came the main event. DeVaux, a Saratoga Springs native, became the first female trainer to win the Kentucky Derby earlier this year. Now she has a Belmont Stakes trophy to add to her collection.
The 1.5-mile test of champions was moved up a few minutes due to the threat of rain, going off just before 7 p.m. ET. Coverage aired on FS2, FS1, and FOX, with streaming on FOX One.
Golden Tempo’s owners chose to bypass the Preakness, forgoing a shot at the Triple Crown. That decision left Preakness winner Napoleon Solo out of the Belmont field, thinning the competition. But Golden Tempo proved he needed no excuses.
The victory marks the third straight year the Belmont has been run at Saratoga while Belmont Park undergoes renovations. The race is expected to return to its traditional Long Island home in 2027.
For now, Golden Tempo reigns as the horse of the moment, and Cherie DeVaux has cemented her place in racing history.
