Golden Tempo at the Belmont Stakes: Odds, History, and Predictions

The 158th running of the Belmont Stakes happens Saturday, June 6, at Saratoga Race Course, and all eyes are on Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo. Instead of going to the Preakness Stakes and trying to sweep all three races of the Triple Crown, trainer Cherie DeVaux decided to go the same route as Bill Mott did last year with Sovereignty: give him five weeks, and bring him back in the Belmont Stakes.

Though he won’t clash with Preakness Stakes winner Napoleon Solo, he will line up against many of his major Kentucky Derby foes, including runner-up Renegade, third-place Ocelli, and fourth-place Chief Wallabee.

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Golden Tempo Belmont Stakes Odds and Post Positions

The field for the Belmont Stakes was drawn Monday, June 2, with a field of nine entered for the race. Golden Tempo was drawn to the outside – not a major issue given his deep closing style, especially since he won from an even-further-outside post five weeks before in the Kentucky Derby. He is the 9-2 third choice on the morning line behind two other horses who joined him in the Kentucky Derby superfecta, Renegade and Chief Wallabee.

This is the field for the 2026 Belmont Stakes including post positions, trainers, jockeys, and morning-line odds.

Golden Tempo Horse Trainer and Jockey

Golden Tempo is trained by former Chad Brown assistant Cherie DeVaux for owners Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable. DeVaux has had a lot of older graded-stakes horses and shined on some of racing’s biggest stages since striking out on her own in 2018, including winning the Breeders’ Cup Mile with More Than Looks in 2024. Golden Tempo was her first Kentucky Derby starter, and will be her first Belmont starter as well.

Jockey Jose Ortiz has ridden in the Belmont Stakes nine times. He has won the race once, in 2017 at Belmont Park with Tapwrit. He has ridden the runner-up three times: Gronkowski in 2018, Tacitus in 2019, and Nest in 2022.

Golden Tempo Race History

Despite a sluggish break on debut, Golden Tempo rallied with jockey Jose Ortiz aboard to win his six-furlong debut in December, earning a ticket to face stakes horses on the Fair Grounds road to the Belmont Stakes. He followed that out with a last-to-first score in the Lecomte (G3), beating stablemate Mesquite by three-quarters of a length. Golden Tempo returned for the last two legs of the Louisiana spur of the Derby trail, and though his closing runs didn’t get him all the way there in either the Risen Star (G2) or the Louisiana Derby, he proved a major player, getting up for third in both races.

Those races gave him the fitness he needed for the Kentucky Derby, and he got a wicked pace to close into in the Run for the Roses. In a last-to-first performance, he hit the finish line a neck ahead of Renegade, upsetting the Kentucky Derby at 23-1 odds, earning his first career Grade 1 win, and making his trainer Cherie DeVaux the first woman to train a Kentucky Derby winner.

Speed ratings are courtesy of Equibase.

Golden Tempo Belmont Stakes Prediction and Pick

What you see is what you get with Golden Tempo: he has never shown anything but good form, and he is a closer who always makes a run. On paper, he has one of the better pedigrees for 1 ¼ miles, the distance at which the Belmont is run at Saratoga Race Course – and, of course, he showed in the Kentucky Derby that he likes the distance in practice, too. The question is always whether he will get enough pace in front of him to get all the way there.

The pace looks significantly less favorable to him than the Kentucky Derby pace. There were several need-the-lead types among the 18 runners at Churchill Downs, but no one in the Belmont actually needs to make the lead to run well, and only Powershift and Growth Equity are usually up close. His two stakes wins have come behind rip-roaring paces; though he is consistent enough to close up ground even when the pace is more moderate, that could leave him more likely for exotics despite his clear affinity for the distance.

Frequently Asked Questions: 2026 Belmont Stakes

Who is the morning line favorite for the 2026 Belmont Stakes?

Renegade, trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., is the 2-1 morning line favorite for the 2026 Belmont Stakes. Renegade draws from post position 4 in the 9-horse field. Chief Wallabee, also trained by a top conditioner and ridden by Junior Alvarado out of post 3, is the second choice at 3-1, followed by Golden Tempo at 9-2. You can bet on the Belmont Stakes morning line favorite and the full field at FanDuel Racing.

When and where is the 2026 Belmont Stakes and what time is post time?

The 158th running of the Belmont Stakes takes place on Saturday, June 6, 2026, at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Post time for The Test of the Champion is 7:04 p.m. ET. This is the third and final year the race will be held at Saratoga while Belmont Park undergoes a full reconstruction project. The race is contested at 1¼ miles due to the configuration of Saratoga's main track, shorter than the traditional 1½-mile distance at Belmont Park. The Belmont Stakes will return to a newly reimagined Belmont Park beginning in 2027. New FanDuel Racing users can place their first bet of $10 and get $50 back in Racing Bonus ahead of race day.

How can I bet on the 2026 Belmont Stakes and are there any promotions available?

You can bet on the 2026 Belmont Stakes winner and all associated wagering markets at FanDuel Racing. Belmont Stakes odds are available across win, place, show, exacta, trifecta, and superfecta markets. New FanDuel Racing users can take advantage of a promotional offer where you place your first bet of $10 on any race at any track and receive $50 back in Racing Bonus. Additional 2026 Belmont Stakes promos are available on FanDuel Racing. The full morning line odds for all 9 horses, including the 2-1 favorite Renegade and longshots Vitruvian Man at 30-1 and Ottinho at 20-1 — are listed above. Stay updated on live Belmont Stakes odds (fanduel.com/belmont-stakes-odds) as they shift ahead of the Saturday, June 6 post time.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.