The 2026 Belmont Stakes brings a familiar storyline to Saratoga Race Course: a rematch between Kentucky Derby top finishers Renegade and Golden Tempo. Nine 3-year-olds are entered in the final leg of the Triple Crown, and the race will go off Saturday at an approximate post time of 7:04 p.m. ET.
No horse can sweep the series this year because Derby winner Golden Tempo skipped the Preakness Stakes in Maryland on May 16. That leaves the Belmont as a separate test of form, stamina and positioning, with several Derby and prep-race standouts returning for another meeting.
Belmont Stakes field and morning-line odds
Renegade was installed as the morning-line favorite at 2-1 after losing the Kentucky Derby to Golden Tempo by a neck. Chief Wallabee follows at 3-1, while Golden Tempo is listed at 9-2 as bettors weigh the final wagering market before post time.
- Vitruvian Man — 30-1
- Powershift — 12-1
- Chief Wallabee — 3-1
- Renegade — 2-1
- Ottinho — 20-1
- Growth Equity — 12-1
- Commandment — 6-1
- Emerging Market — 6-1
- Golden Tempo — 9-2
Vitruvian Man is the biggest long shot in the field at 30-1. Powershift, Growth Equity and Ottinho round out the group of horses trying to turn recent form into a Belmont breakthrough.
Renegade brings the strongest Derby case
Renegade arrives with the clearest case for favoritism after a strong run through the spring. Before the Derby, the bay colt won the Arkansas Derby in March and the Sam F. Davis Stakes in February, and he also finished second in the Remsen Stakes in December at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Irad Ortiz Jr. will ride Renegade again, and the 33-year-old is chasing a third Belmont win. Ortiz previously won the race with Mo Donegal in 2022 and Creator in 2016, giving Renegade a rider with proven success in the Triple Crown’s final jewel.
Todd Pletcher trains Renegade and also sends out Powershift, giving the veteran trainer two chances in the race. Pletcher has already won the Belmont four times, with Mo Donegal, Tapwrit, Palace Malice and Rags to Riches.
Golden Tempo looks to extend Derby momentum
Golden Tempo enters with the Kentucky Derby trophy and a chance to become only the 13th horse to win both the Derby and the Belmont. The colt’s path to the first Saturday in May included a win in the Lecomte Stakes and a third-place finish in both the Risen Star Stakes and the Louisiana Derby.
Jose Ortiz takes the mount for the Belmont, after riding Golden Tempo to victory in the Derby. Ortiz also owns a Belmont win aboard Tapwrit in 2017 and has finished second three times in the race, which highlights his consistency on the big stage.
Cherie DeVaux trains Golden Tempo and already made history as the first woman to saddle a Kentucky Derby winner. A Belmont victory would put her in another historic category, as only Jena Antonucci has trained a Belmont winner among women, through Arcangelo in 2023.
Chief Wallabee and Commandment add depth to the race
Chief Wallabee offers another serious threat after finishing fourth in the Kentucky Derby. The colt had already shown strong form in Florida, placing third in the Florida Derby behind Commandment after a second-place run in the Fountain of Youth Stakes.
Junior Alvarado gets the return call aboard Chief Wallabee, and the rider brings his own Belmont credentials. Alvarado rode Sovereignty to victories in last year’s Derby and Belmont, and trainer Bill Mott has already won this race once with Drosselmeyer in 2010.
Commandment also enters with graded stakes credentials and a path through Florida. The colt won the Mucho Macho Man Stakes in January, then added victories in the Fountain of Youth Stakes and Florida Derby before finishing seventh in the Kentucky Derby.
John Velazquez will ride Commandment, and the Hall of Fame jockey has two Belmont wins on his record, along with several close calls. Brad Cox trains the colt and is seeking a second Belmont victory after winning with Essential Quality in 2021.
Other contenders with a chance to upset the favorites
Emerging Market comes into the Belmont after winning the Louisiana Derby and then finishing 10th in the Kentucky Derby. Flavien Prat will ride again, and the trip marks his sixth straight Belmont appearance, with his best finish coming when he was second aboard Hot Rod Charlie in 2021.
Chad Brown has three horses in the race: Emerging Market, Growth Equity and Ottinho. Brown is chasing his first Belmont victory after coming closest in 2018 with Gronkowski, while Growth Equity carries 12-1 odds and Ottinho opens at 20-1.
The Belmont itself will also look different from its traditional format. Known as the Test of the Champion, it is usually run at 1 1/2 miles, but Saturday’s race will be 1 1/4 miles because of the track setup at Saratoga Race Course, where the event has been held since 2024.
The race is expected to return to Belmont Park on Long Island in 2027 after a redevelopment project is completed later this year, keeping the focus for now on a Saratoga field that blends Derby form, familiar rider pairings and a wide range of morning-line prices.
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