Golden Tempo claims 158th Belmont Stakes, extending Triple Crown dominance
The horse, ridden by Jose Ortiz, completes the 1 1/4-mile course in 2:03.49, securing $1.2 million and becoming the second consecutive winner to skip the Preakness Stakes.
Golden Tempo secured its second Triple Crown victory of the year at the 158th running of the Belmont Stakes, finishing ahead of Commandment and Renegade at Saratoga Race Course. Ridden by jockey Jose Ortiz and trained by Cherie DeVaux, the horse completed the 1 1/4-mile course in a time of 2:03.49. The win marks the second consecutive year a horse has claimed both the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes while bypassing the Preakness Stakes, following Sovereignty’s achievement in 2025.
The victory earned Golden Tempo $1.2 million from the $2 million total purse, bringing its cumulative Triple Crown earnings to $4.3 million. This follows the horse’s earlier $3.1 million win at the Kentucky Derby in Louisville five weeks prior. The Belmont Stakes distributes payouts across eight places, meaning only one horse in the 2026 field failed to recoup its $30,000 entry fee.
Trainer Cherie DeVaux, a native of Saratoga Springs, described the outcome as particularly significant for the local community. Her success makes her the second female trainer to win the Belmont in four years, following Jena Antonucci’s victory with Arcangelo in 2023. Owner Vinnie Viola, alongside DeVaux and Ortiz, celebrated the win which saw Golden Tempo start from the outside gate 9 and close strongly in the final stretch.
The race featured a notably slower pace compared to the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. Jockey Jose Ortiz noted that the absence of a specific pace setup was a concern prior to the start, but the horse responded effectively to the conditions. Golden Tempo finished at odds of 6-1, paying $14 to win, $7.32 to place, and $3.88 to show for bettors.
Commandment finished second, paying $7.02 to place and $4.08 to show, while morning line favourite Renegade took third, paying $2.52 to show. The exacta for positions nine and seven returned $111.34, the trifecta returned $102.64, and the superfecta returned $2,379. The result cements a dominant start to the three-year-old racing season for the connections of Golden Tempo.
