Golden Tempo captured the 158th Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York, on Saturday (June 6), marking another historic win for trainer Cherie DeVaux and jockey Jose Ortiz. Commandment finished second and Renegade, who was the morning-line favorite at 2-1, came in third.

The Belmont Stakes, typically held at Belmont Park in Elmont, was run at Saratoga, where the race was 1 ¼ miles instead of the usual mile-and-a-half due to ongoing renovations at its traditional venue.

Golden Tempo, owned by Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable, entered the Belmont after skipping the Preakness to rest, a strategy DeVaux said set her colt up for success. The field of nine included top contenders like Renegade, the Derby runner-up; Chief Wallabee, trained by Bill Mott; and Commandment, trained by Brad Cox.

The win follows Golden Tempo’s dramatic last-to-first victory in the Kentucky Derby five weeks earlier, where Ortiz and Golden Tempo surged past Renegade in the final strides at Churchill Downs, making DeVaux the first female trainer to win the Derby.

During the race, Ortiz adapted to a different pace than the Kentucky Derby, positioning Golden Tempo closer to the leaders in the early stages before making a decisive move down the stretch.

With this win, Golden Tempo’s career record improves to three wins, no seconds, and two thirds in five starts, with career earnings surpassing $3.4 million. Ortiz previously won the Belmont in 2017, and this victory adds to his career highlights.

As the Triple Crown closes out its run at Saratoga, anticipation builds for the race’s return to its traditional 1½-mile distance at Belmont Park next year.

Bret Saunders