Golden Tempo Completes Derby-Belmont Double with Stunning Stretch Run
Golden Tempo silenced any remaining doubters on Saturday, storming from last place to claim the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York — proving that his Kentucky Derby triumph last month was far more than a one-time performance.
The victory was historic off the track as well as on it. Trainer Cherie DeVaux became only the second woman ever to train a Belmont Stakes winner, joining Jena Antonucci, who accomplished the feat in 2023 with Arcangelo. For DeVaux, a Saratoga Springs native, the win carried extra personal significance — she claimed one of horse racing’s most prestigious prizes on her home turf.
Commandment crossed the wire in second, while Renegade — who had pushed Golden Tempo to the limit at Churchill Downs, losing by just a neck — had to settle for third. All three horses shared a common strategy heading into Saturday’s race: each had bypassed the May 16 Preakness Stakes, the middle jewel of the Triple Crown, citing the compressed two-week turnaround between that race and the Kentucky Derby as a deterrent.
Jockey Jose Ortiz once again demonstrated his tactical brilliance aboard Golden Tempo, executing a nearly identical race to the one that delivered the Derby. Settling deep in the pack at the back of the nine-horse field, Ortiz waited patiently before unleashing his mount down the stretch for a breathtaking late surge. The key difference this time, however, was the pace — the Belmont field ran considerably more conservatively than the Derby, making Golden Tempo’s closing kick all the more impressive given the slower tempo up front.
Interestingly, despite wearing the Derby crown, Golden Tempo was not installed as the morning-line favorite. That honor belonged to Renegade, who went off at 8-5. Golden Tempo broke from the outside gate at 6-1 odds, and rewarded patient bettors handsomely — paying $14 to win, $7.32 to place, and $3.88 to show. Commandment returned $7.02 and $4.08 for place and show respectively, while Renegade paid just $2.52 to show.
The win firmly establishes Golden Tempo as one of the premier three-year-olds in the country and leaves the racing world wondering just how far this remarkable colt can go.
