Kentucky Derby champion Golden Tempo upsets field, wins 2026 Belmont Stakes

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — Golden Tempo closed out the Triple Crown season Saturday the same way he began it: In the winner’s circle.

The circumstances were different from the Kentucky Derby, when the late-running son of Curlin was helped by a hot pace that tired out the front-runners.

His day suddenly a lot brighter, Bob Baffert’s face brightened.

“I think that’s the first time I beat Journalism,” Baffert said in the winner’s circle Saturday at Saratoga. “Damn, I finally beat Journalism.”

Actually, a 2-year-old Baffert trained named Mellencamp finished second with Journalism third in the debut for both in October 2024 at Santa Anita. But given what Journalism has become — Preakness winner, earner of more than $4.5 million — Baffert can be forgiven for thinking what happened Saturday was just a bit more important.

Nysos, the best horse in Baffert’s barn, did more than beat Journalism in the $1 million Met Mile — he routed him, as well as five others in the Grade 1 race. As the 7-5 favorite, Nysos returned $4.94 after clocking 1:34.85, just .13 off the track record.

“I’ve always thought he was one of the best horses in training and today he showed it,” said Baffert, who was disappointed earlier in the day when Crude Velocity and Imagination were defeated.

The victory was not without an anxious moment or two. Jockey Flavien Prat rushed Nysos to the lead out of the gate, but when he was joined on the pace by Antiquarian, Saudi Crown and Knightsbridge, the jockey dropped Nysos back to fourth through a half-mile in 45.61 seconds.

“When he took him back I just thought, ‘I hope he knows what he’s doing,’” Baffert said.

Not surprisingly, Prat did. After Knightsbridge passed Antiquarian on the far turn, Prat took Nysos around those two as they moved into the stretch and pulled away. Knightsbridge was four lengths back in second with Journalism another three-quarters of a length behind in third.

“It felt like down the backside, the pressure from the outside never really stopped,” Prat said. “I figured I had to give him a chance, knowing he was carrying 126 (pounds) and he hasn’t run for (four) months, and it just played out good. When I tipped him out, he gave me a great run.”

It was the eighth win in 10 lifetime starts for Nysos, a 5-year-old son of Nyquist. His only two defeats came by a neck to Mindframe last spring when Nysos was making his first start in 15 months, and by a length to Forever Young four months ago in the Saudi Cup.

“He’s one of the best horses I’ve ever trained,” Baffert said.

The victory earned Nysos a berth in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile in October at Keeneland, but the horse won that race last year and Baffert has a bigger prize in mind.

“We’re going for the Classic,” he said, mentioning the Aug. 22 Pacific Classic at Del Mar as a possible race to bridge the gap between now and the Breeders’ Cup.

It’s possible he’ll see Journalism in one or both of those races, although trainer Michael McCarthy wasn’t committing to anything. Journalism, the 2-1 second choice Saturday, has lost four straight races since his Haskell victory last July.

“Obviously a 1-2-3 finish is very good,” McCarthy said, “but you come here for something like this, you expect a little bit better.”

Trainer: Cherie DeVaux

Jockey: Jose Ortiz

Owners: Phipps Stable (Daisy Phipps Pulito) & St. Elias Stable (Vincent Viola)

Purchase price: Homebred

Sire: Curlin

Lifetime record: 5-3-0-2

Winnings: $3,433,000

Top Beyer Speed Figure: 95

Last race: Won Kentucky Derby

Morning line: 9-2

Horse Racing Nation fair odds: 8-1

Comment: DeVaux is in her first Belmont, but unlike the Derby, she would not be the first female trainer to win this race, since Jena Antonucci won in 2023 with Arcangelo. Her colt hasn’t run a bad race, but as a closer he appears to be at the mercy of the pace, and there might not be much to run at this time. Ortiz, who won the Belmont with Tapwrit in 2017 and has been second three times, can’t afford to allow Golden Tempo to drop as far back as he did in Louisville. The question is if he does have to run faster early, will he still have the powerful kick he showed off in the Churchill Downs stretch.

Trainer: Chad Brown

Jockey: Flavien Prat

Owner: Klaravich Stables Inc. (Seth Klaravich)

Purchase price: $185,000

Sire: Candy Ride

Lifetime record: 3-2-0-0

Winnings: $618,880

Top Beyer Speed Figure: 97

Last race: 10th in Kentucky Derby

Morning line: 6-1

Horse Racing Nation fair odds: 9-2

Comment: He was undefeated going into the Derby, albeit with only two starts, and no horse has won that race in his third start since 1883. Brown entered three horses in search of his first Belmont, and on form, this one has the best chance. The trainer has talked about the experience Emerging Market gained in the Derby and how he didn’t race that poorly considering he lost a shoe in the race. The Louisiana Derby victor is one of several horses who likely will be in a stalking position, and the race could come down to which jockey manages to get the best trip. Prat has ridden in the race five straight years and never been better than second or worse than fourth.

Trainer: Brad Cox

Jockey: John Velazquez

Owner: Wathnan Racing (Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani)

Purchase price: $500,000

Sire: Into Mischief

Lifetime record: 6-4-0-0

Winnings: $1,017,339

Top Beyer Speed Figure: 101

Last race: Seventh in Kentucky Derby

Morning line: 6-1

Horse Racing Nation fair odds: 5-1

Comment: For the fourth straight race he will have a different jockey, though this is the first time the trainer made the decision rather than the rider. Cox said he couldn’t let the opportunity pass when Velazquez was available, but he also talked about how he wasn’t pleased with the position Commandment was in during the Derby. His seventh-place finish that day seems to have created a lot of room on his bandwagon — he was made the co-fourth choice on the morning line — but this is a colt who before going to Louisville won four straight races including the Florida Derby. Cox won the Belmont in his first try five years ago with Essential Quality, while Velazquez has two wins (2007, 2012) and is one of three jockeys (along with Irad Ortiz Jr. and Saez) who can move into a tie for fifth in most Belmonts won.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — Whatever happens in the Belmont with her Kentucky Derby winner, Golden Tempo, trainer Cherie DeVaux will not soon forget this day.

Three races before the Belmont, DeVaux’s Englishman destroyed a quality field of 3-year-olds in the Grade 1 Woody Stephens and officially tied — but likely broke — a 48-year-old Saratoga record.

Ridden by Jose Ortiz, the son of Maxfield avenged a loss to Crude Velocity in last month’s Pat Day Mile by beating Bob Baffert’s colt by 5 3/4 lengths in 1:20.40 for seven furlongs. Saratoga lists its record for that distance at 1:20.40 by Darby Creek Road in August 1978, but in those days timing was done in fifths, so anything between 1:20.40 and 1:20.59 would be listed as 1:20.40.

“It doesn’t surprise me,” DeVaux said of the time over a track that has been playing fast this week. “This horse is so fast that we kind of get a glimpse of it when he runs. He runs like that and almost broke the track record [for six furlongs] at Fair Grounds wrapped up, so the sky is the limit for him right now, but I believe that’s at six and seven furlongs.”

Said Florent Geroux, who rode the runner-up: “I knew Englishman was the horse to beat, especially at this distance. He has more natural speed than my horse. We were just second-best today. I do think my horse will appreciate a little more distance.”

Trainer: Chad Brown

Jockey: Manny Franco

Owners: Klaravich Stables Inc. (Seth Klaravich)

Purchase price: $425,000

Sire: Nyquist

Lifetime record: 4-2-2-0

Winnings: $187,600

Top Beyer Speed Figure: 93

Last race: Won Peter Pan Stakes

Morning line: 12-1

Horse Racing Nation fair odds: 10-1

Comment: Growth Equity hasn’t faced the level of competition he will Saturday, but he has improved with each race, and that’s why Brown said he decided to give him a shot in the Belmont. The colt didn’t break his maiden until his third race, but in his fourth, the Peter Pan, he was wide around both turns and still earned a Beyer Speed Figure almost as fast as Golden Tempo and Renegade did in the Derby. He’s one of three horses Brown in starting as he tries to win his first Belmont. Franco won on his first try in 2020 with Tiz the Law.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — There was every reason to expect Ag Bullet would run well Saturday at Saratoga. There was little reason to expect Listenupshance would.

As it turned out, both Southern California shippers did perform extremely well — but neither won.

Listenupshance, the longest shot in the Grade 3 True North at 21-1, took a slight lead in the stretch against the two best sprinters in the country before winding up a close third behind Eclipse Award champion Book’em Danno ($5.72) and Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner Bentornato. The time for 6 1/2 furlongs was a rapid 1:14.79.

“Today he couldn’t really relax in the post parade and he was bad in the gate,” said Antonio Fresu, who rode Listenupshance for trainer Doug O’Neill. “He almost flipped and he kind of missed the break when they opened the gate. … He was fighting, but the first fraction cost me in the finish. Very pleased with the way he ran.”

It was just the second career start in a graded stakes race for the 4-year-old gelding. Ag Bullet is far more accomplished — the 6-year-old mare, trained by Richard Baltas, won the Grade 1 Jaipur here last year and was second in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, both against males. On Saturday, racing for the first time in six months, she was unable to hold off Reef Runner ($12.48) in the Jaipur, losing by half a length in 1:00.02, just .22 seconds off the track record for five furlongs on turf.

With the win, Reef Runner earned a place in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint in October at Keeneland. He finished fourth in the race last year.

Forty minutes before the True North, the first stakes race of the day, the $500,000 Just a Game, was won by Classic Q ($14.44) under jockey John Velazquez. The 4-year-old Classic Empire filly, who won the Grade 2 Distaff Turf Mile on the Kentucky Derby undercard, led throughout to beat French import Mandanaba by 1 1/4 lengths with favored Segesta third. It was trainer Mark Casse’s third Grade 1 win of the weekend, following Friday’s Acorn with Counting Stars and Ogden Phipps with Nitrogen.

Trainer: Chad Brown

Jockey: Dylan Davis

Owners: Three Chimneys Farm (Goncalo B. Torrealba)

Purchase price: Homebred

Sire: Quality Road

Lifetime record: 4-1-1-2

Winnings: $324,700

Top Beyer Speed Figure: 89

Last race: Second in Blue Grass.

Morning line: 20-1

Horse Racing Nation fair odds: 45-1

Comment: Brown has one-third of the Belmont starters, and his half-brother to Gun Runner has the longest odds. The trainer said he believes Ottinho will be a good horse someday; he’s just not sure when. He’s been routed in his last two races, finishing 11 1/2 lengths behind Talk to Me Jimmy in a slow Withers Stakes and 11 lengths behind Further Ado in a fast Blue Grass. Brown is 0-for-5 in the Belmont, while Davis is riding in the race for just the second time.

Trainer: Bill Mott

Jockey: Junior Alvarado

Owners: Michael & Katherine G. Ball

Purchase price: Homebred

Sire: Constitution

Lifetime record: 4-1-1-1

Winnings: $466,600

Top Beyer Speed Figure: 100

Last race: Fourth in Kentucky Derby

Morning line: 3-1

Horse Racing Nation fair odds: 6-1

Comment: One of four horses in the field with only one victory, though his four career starts also include a second in the Fountain of Youth, a third in the Florida Derby and a fourth in the Kentucky Derby. That’s why he’s the second choice on the morning line and those other one-win starters are all in double figures. It also helps that his trainer and jockey won the race last year with Sovereignty. It was the second victory for Mott, who is trying to become the first trainer to win consecutive Belmonts since D. Wayne Lukas won three in a row from 1994-96. Meanwhile, Alvarado is aiming to become the first jockey to go back-to-back since Ron Turcotte with Riva Ridge and Secretariat more than 50 years ago. As was the case before the Derby, Chief Wallabee continues to impress with his morning workouts, and he has the tactical speed to be near what could be a moderate pace. A victory would not surprise anyone.

Trainer: Todd Pletcher

Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.

Owners: Robert & Lawana L. Low & Repole Stable (Mike Repole)

Purchase price: $975,000

Sire: Into Mischief

Lifetime record: 6-2-3-1

Winnings: $2,031,500

Top Beyer Speed Figure: 98

Last race: Second in Kentucky Derby

Morning line: 2-1 (favorite)

Horse Racing Nation fair odds: 4-1

Comment: The morning-line favorite for the Derby fills the same role for this race, and unlike five weeks ago, when he wound up the second choice, it would be a surprise should he not be the post-time favorite as well. Renegade nearly won the Derby despite getting bumped hard early in the race, and with the smaller field, Ortiz should have him much closer to the pace, the style used when the colt won the Sam F. Davis and Arkansas Derby. Ortiz has won this race twice, including for Pletcher in 2022 when Mo Donegal also went from the rail in the Derby to being the Belmont favorite. That was Pletcher’s fourth win in this race, more than any living trainer, and a fifth would tie Woody Stephens for fifth all-time. (Pletcher also has finished second in the Belmont a remarkable nine times, including four of the last six years.)

Trainer: Todd Pletcher

Jockey: Luis Saez

Owners: Repole Stable (Mike Repole)

Purchase price: $500,000

Sire: Constitution

Lifetime record: 3-1-1-0

Winnings: $81,896

Top Beyer Speed Figure: 95

Last race: Won maiden race at Churchill Downs

Morning line: 12-1

Horse Racing Nation fair odds: 12-1

Comment: Pletcher always had high hopes for this colt; after a close second to Emerging Market in a maiden race in February he was moved straight into the Tampa Bay Derby. But he ran poorly that day and returned to the maiden ranks, where he won easily on the Kentucky Derby undercard. Now he goes back into stakes company having never run farther than 1 1/16 miles, but in a race without any confirmed frontrunners, he is the most logical pacesetter. Can Saez, who won two of the last five Belmonts, ration his speed for 10 furlongs and hold off more accomplished runners? If he does, Pletcher would tie Woody Stephens for fourth place in all-time Belmont wins with his fifth. (The previous four all came with horses who, like Powershift and Pletcher’s other starter, Renegade, ran on Derby weekend and then rested until the Belmont.)

Trainer: Doug O’Neill

Jockey: Antonio Fresu

Owners: Glenn Sorgenstein WC Racing Inc. & Run Fast Racing (Adam Kluger, Lil Wayne, Lil Yachty, Rauw Alejandro)

Purchase price: Homebred

Sire: Vino Rosso

Lifetime record: 6-1-1-2

Winnings: $142,345

Top Beyer Speed Figure: 86

Last race: Third in Santa Anita Derby

Morning line: 30-1

Horse Racing Nation fair odds: 125-1

Comment: Vitruvian Man is bred to be a really good horse who can flourish at 1 1/4 miles. Vino Rosso won the Breeders’ Cup Classic. So did his sire, Curlin, who also won the Preakness, as did Vitruvian Man’s other grandsire, Bernardini. Curlin has sired a winner of all three triple crown races, most recently Golden Tempo. Oh, and O’Neill has won the Derby twice, the Preakness once and was second in the 2021 Belmont with Hot Rod Charlie. But there are several royally bred horses in the Belmont. The problem is Vitruvian Man hasn’t run to his breeding, winning only a restricted maiden race at Keeneland last year among six career starts. In his only start this year, he was a distant third in the Santa Anita Derby. He’s been working well, but for him to even hit the board in this field would be a big surprise.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — Unlike the first two legs of this year’s triple crown, there is no doubt which horse will be favored in Saturday’s Belmont Stakes.

Renegade, who wound up as second choice at the Kentucky Derby ($5.65-1) behind Further Ado ($5.05-1) after opening the morning-line favorite, has been the pick of Belmont bettors since wagering opened earlier this week. The Derby runner-up was as low as 3-5 on Friday, but as of 2 p.m. EDT Saturday — about five hours before post time — he was sitting at 9-5, almost identical to his morning-line price of 2-1.

What’s undecided at this point is who will be the second choice — or the third, fourth or fifth choices. The other four horses who ran in the Derby and then skipped the Preakness are all at 5-1: winner Golden Tempo plus Chief Wallabee (fourth), Commandment (seventh) and Emerging Market (10th).

They’re followed in the wagering by a pair of 12-1 horses, Powershift, a maiden winner on the Derby undercard, and Growth Equity, who won last month’s Peter Pan at Aqueduct.

The two longest shots in the field are Ottinho at 19-1 and Vitruvian Man at a surprisingly short 20-1. Ottinho is one of three Belmont horses trained by Chad Brown, who also has Emerging Market and Growth Equity. Brown won three races here Friday, including a pair of stakes, and captured two of the first five races Saturday, at 18-1 and 9-1.

There’s one more race before the first of six graded stakes races, the Just a Game, at 11:47 a.m. PDT.

After a light morning shower, the sun has been peeking in and out of the clouds here, with the temperature at 80 degrees. There is still a chance of thunderstorms, possibly severe, before the Belmont.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — The Belmont Stakes is less than 34 hours away, and Cherie DeVaux is feeling stressed.

Not about the race. DeVaux has done what she can do to prepare her 3-year-old colt, Golden Tempo, for Saturday’s third leg of the Triple Crown. Questions about post position, track bias, even the increasing threat of potentially severe thunderstorms before the evening post time (4:04 PDT, Fox) are brushed aside because, as she said, those are all out of a trainer’s control.

Horse racing’s Triple Crown season ends Saturday with the Belmont Stakes, and for the eighth straight year there will be no sweep.

In one sense that might not be the worst thing, since this Belmont will be the third straight contested over 1¼ miles at Saratoga instead of the traditional 1½ miles at Belmont Park. The latter track is being rebuilt and will reopen in September.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — It’s June and it’s the Northeast, so of course there are thunderstorms in the Saturday forecast here.

There was a shower about the time the first of the day’s 14 races began just after 11 a.m. EDT at Saratoga Race Course, where the Belmont Stakes will be run for the third and final year while a massive renovation at Belmont Park is completed this summer. But there wasn’t enough rain to affect either the dirt or turf course.

More, however, is expected before the 7:04 p.m. EDT (4:04 p.m. PDT) post time for the Belmont. The National Weather Service forecast as of early this afternoon calls for “a chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 4 p.m. Some of the storms could be severe.”

What it means if the Belmont is run on an off track is uncertain, since just two of the nine horses have run on anything but a fast surface. Vitruvian Man was second in an allowance race over a sloppy track in November at Churchill Downs, while Growth Equity’s victory last month in the Peter Pan came over an Aqueduct surface labeled “good.”

Renegade, the race favorite, and Commandment were sired by Into Mischief, whose progeny generally have fared well on wet tracks, one example being Sovereignty winning last year’s Belmont on a “good” track. And Golden Tempo, the Kentucky Derby winner last month, is by Curlin, who enjoyed the mud himself — he won the Breeders’ Cup Classic in 2007 in heavy rain.

It’s not likely that the rain today will get to the point where the turf course becomes unsafe. On the day of the Belmont last year, there was so much rain early that five races originally scheduled for the turf were moved to the dirt. Later, two other turf races were postponed a day.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — One thing about the Triple Crown: Fans do not get cheated, at least when it comes to the number of races on the big day.

Just as Churchill Downs did for the Kentucky Derby and Laurel Park did two weeks later for the Preakness, Saratoga Race Course has scheduled 14 races Saturday, highlighted by the Belmont Stakes. It’s the third and final year the Belmont will be run at the upstate New York track while Belmont Park is being rebuilt.