Belmont Stakes Victory
Golden Tempo, with José Ortiz, secures Belmont Stakes victory after Kentucky Derby win
Golden Tempo won the 158th Belmont Stakes on Saturday at Saratoga Race Course, giving trainer Cherie DeVaux her second Triple Crown victory of the 2026 season Associated Press. The 3-year-old bay colt, ridden by Puerto Rican jockey José Ortiz, beat Commandment by 1¼ lengths in a time of 2:03.49, taking home $1.2 million of the $2 million purse CBS News.
The win made DeVaux the first woman to train two different Triple Crown race winners. She had already made history on May 2 when Golden Tempo rallied from dead last at 23-1 odds to win the Kentucky Derby Yahoo Sports. "The horse is not a machine," DeVaux said after Saturday's race. "We made our decision, he won today, and we're going to be happy about that."
Golden Tempo Skipped the Preakness to Win Fresh
DeVaux chose to skip the Preakness Stakes, held May 16, and give Golden Tempo a full five-week rest before the Belmont Yahoo Sports. The two-week turnaround between the Derby and Preakness is notoriously hard on horses. DeVaux decided the recovery time was more important than a Triple Crown bid.
Napoleon Solo filled the gap and won the Preakness at Laurel Park while Golden Tempo stayed home Yahoo Sports. This is now two years in a row that the Kentucky Derby winner skipped the Preakness. In 2025, Sovereignty did the same thing — then came back to win the Belmont. Critics call it the "Sovereignty Strategy," and it worked again in 2026 Associated Press.
José Ortiz Rides His Second Belmont Winner
José Ortiz, a jockey from Puerto Rico, guided Golden Tempo through both the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes this season Associated Press. Saturday's win was his second Belmont title. He first won the race in 2017 aboard Tapwrit. Ortiz kept Golden Tempo relaxed early, then let him run down the stretch.
Renegade, trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher and sent off as the race favorite, finished third CBS News. The exacta paid $55.67, the trifecta paid $102.64, and the superfecta paid $237.98. An estimated 50,000 fans packed a sold-out Saratoga to watch the race.
Belmont Ran Shorter and Away From Home — For Now
The race was held at Saratoga Race Course for the third straight year while Belmont Park undergoes a $1 billion renovation Associated Press. Because Saratoga's track is smaller, the race was run at 1¼ miles — the same distance as the Kentucky Derby — instead of the traditional 1½ miles. Some experts argue the shorter distance makes the race easier and less of a true stamina test.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul called it a "final chapter" at Saratoga that "honors our rich racing heritage while paving the way for a bold, new future at Belmont Park." The race is set to return to a rebuilt Belmont Park in 2027, which is also slated to host the Breeders' Cup World Championships that year Associated Press.
Triple Crown's Future Is Now an Open Question
With two straight Derby winners skipping the Preakness, pressure is growing on racing officials to change the Triple Crown schedule Yahoo Sports. The current format forces horses to race three times in five weeks. Many trainers now believe that pace is too brutal for their best horses.
Racing traditionalists say skipping the Preakness weakens the Triple Crown's meaning. But DeVaux and others argue that horse welfare has to come first. The debate is now louder than ever. If the schedule does not change, more trainers may follow the same path in 2027 Associated Press.
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