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Renegade Favored in 158th Belmont Stakes at Saratoga

6/2/2026

35 6 Full Breakdown

Summary

Renegade Leads Belmont

The 158th Belmont Stakes runs June 6, 2026 at Saratoga Race Course, New York, with a $2 million purse and Renegade as the 2-1 favorite.
The distance is 1¼ miles (10 furlongs), shortened from 1½ miles while Belmont Park renovates.
Ocelli skips the Belmont for the Ohio Derby, leaving no horse to have run all three Triple Crown races.
Nine horses start, led by Renegade, Golden Tempo (post 9, 9-2) and Chief Wallabee (post 3, 3-1).

Summary

Cox Targets Belmont

Brad Cox, a trainer, is targeting his second Belmont victory after winning with Essential Quality in 2021.
Jockey John Velazquez will ride Commandment and has captured the Belmont twice from 28 mounts.
Two-time Belmont winner Luis Saez and 2020 Belmont champion Manny Franco are each slated to ride a contender.
Irad Ortiz Jr., who guided Commandment to earlier wins, chose to ride Renegade in the Arkansas Derby, illustrating jockey switches.

Summary

DeVaux Targets Belmont

Trainer Cherie DeVaux could become the second woman to train a Belmont winner if Golden Tempo repeats his Derby win.
Golden Tempo would be the 13th horse to complete the Derby-Belmont double, last done by Sovereignty in 2022.
Jockey José Ortiz returns to the Belmont after his 2017 Tapwrit victory, seeking a second classic win.
Trainer Chad Brown entered three horses—Emerging Market, Growth Equity, and Ottinho—marking his first Belmont attempt.

History

Historical Context

Secretariat’s 1973 Belmont win—recorded at 2:24 flat and a 31-length margin—ended a 25-year Triple Crown drought and cemented the race’s status as the championship test for three-year-olds. Today, the 2026 Belmont, moved to Saratoga while Belmont Park rebuilds, pits newcomers Renegade and Golden Tempo under trainers Brad Cox and Cherie DeVaux, echoing that historic drama.

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Renegade Leads Belmont

The 158th Belmont Stakes runs June 6, 2026 at Saratoga Race Course, New York, with a $2 million purse and Renegade as the 2-1 favorite.
The distance is 1¼ miles (10 furlongs), shortened from 1½ miles while Belmont Park renovates.
Ocelli skips the Belmont for the Ohio Derby, leaving no horse to have run all three Triple Crown races.
Nine horses start, led by Renegade, Golden Tempo (post 9, 9-2) and Chief Wallabee (post 3, 3-1).

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