Overview
- The 158th Belmont Stakes will run at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday, June 6, 2026, over 1 1/4 miles for a $2 million purse with an expected post time near 7:04 p.m. ET on Fox.
- Morning-line odds list Renegade as the 2-1 favorite and Golden Tempo as the 9-2 third choice in a nine-horse field that also includes Chief Wallabee (3-1), Commandment (6-1) and Growth Equity (12-1).
- Trainer Cherie DeVaux kept Golden Tempo out of the Preakness, giving the Derby winner five weeks of freshening before the Belmont and removing any chance of a 2026 Triple Crown run.
- Oddsmakers and handicappers express skepticism that Golden Tempo can replicate his Derby last-to-first setup in a smaller field, and they highlight Growth Equity and other mid-priced runners as value plays.
- The Saratoga configuration shortens the Belmont to Derby distance, which reduces traffic risk and tends to favor horses that secure early position, making post draws and pace projections central to wagering and tactics; the race returns to Belmont Park in 2027 after reconstruction.