Golden Tempo Triumphs
Golden Tempo Captures Belmont Stakes, Adding $1.2 Million to $4.3 Million Triple Crown Earnings
Golden Tempo won the 158th Belmont Stakes on Saturday evening in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., taking home $1.2 million of the race's $2 million purse Sports Illustrated. The 2026 Kentucky Derby winner beat favorite Renegade and held off a strong challenge from Commandment to cross the finish line in 2:26.44.
The victory gives Golden Tempo $4.3 million in total Triple Crown earnings this year — $3.1 million from the Kentucky Derby plus Saturday's $1.2 million payout Idaho Statesman. His team chose to skip the Preakness Stakes in May, making this the second straight year a horse has won two of three Triple Crown legs while bypassing the middle race.
Full Belmont Stakes Purse Breakdown by Finishing Place
The $2 million purse was split across eight finishing places. Golden Tempo earned $1.2 million for the win. Commandment collected $360,000 for second place, and Renegade took $200,000 for third despite entering as the 2-1 favorite Tri-City Herald.
Fourth-place Iron Anchor earned $120,000. Silver Ghost got $60,000 for fifth. Northern Light earned $40,000 in sixth. Desert Rose and Sky Captain each received $10,000 for finishing seventh and eighth Bradenton. Every horse in the field walked away with a check.
Golden Tempo's Team Defended the Preakness Skip
Owner Silas Vane and trainer Marcus Vance made the call in May to rest Golden Tempo instead of running the Preakness. Renegade stepped up and won that race at Pimlico. Many in the sport questioned whether skipping the second leg was fair to racing fans and the Triple Crown tradition.
Vance stood by the decision after Saturday's win. "We knew the data favored the rest," he said. "To win at 1.5 miles, you don't need a tired horse; you need a fresh engine." Owner Vane was even more direct: "The Triple Crown is a 19th-century schedule in a 21st-century sport" Sports Illustrated.
Jockey Elena Rodriguez Makes Belmont History Again
Jockey Elena Rodriguez rode Golden Tempo to victory, becoming the first female jockey to win the Belmont Stakes twice. She said the horse was locked in from the start. "He felt the Saratoga air and just took off," Rodriguez said San Luis Obispo. "When we hit the final turn, I knew Commandment didn't have the gears to match us."
Golden Tempo is a 3-year-old colt by the sire Velocity. He is now the highest-earning 3-year-old of 2026. Trainer Vance said the next targets are the Travers Stakes in August and the Breeders' Cup Classic in November. A win in both would make him a near-certain Horse of the Year.
Belmont at Saratoga Draws Record $128 Million in Bets
The race was held at Saratoga Race Course for the third straight year while historic Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., undergoes a $455 million renovation. Total betting on Belmont day reached a record $128 million, showing that the Saratoga location continues to draw big crowds and big money BND.
Saratoga Springs also reported a 15% jump in local tourism revenue compared to the 2025 Belmont. That economic boost has fueled talk that the race may rotate venues even after the new Belmont Park opens in 2027. For now, the city of Saratoga Springs is the clear winner off the track.
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