Golden Tempo demonstrated that his Kentucky Derby victory was legitimate by capturing Saturday’s Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
The victory established Cherie DeVaux as only the second female trainer to guide a horse to success in horse racing’s Triple Crown third leg. DeVaux, a Saratoga Springs native, followed in the footsteps of Jena Antonucci, who achieved the feat in 2023 with Arcangelo.
Commandment claimed second place, while Renegade, who had finished runner-up to Golden Tempo by a neck at Churchill Downs last month, came in third.
All three top finishers had competed in the Derby but chose to bypass the May 16 Preakness, the Triple Crown’s middle race, due to the two-week gap between competitions.
Mirroring his Derby performance, jockey Jose Ortiz guided Golden Tempo from the back of the pack to victory with another powerful finishing kick. However, Ortiz accomplished this without the fast early pace that Derby frontrunners had established.
Even after his Derby success, Golden Tempo wasn’t favored to win. Renegade held that distinction at 8-5 odds.
Starting from the outside post at 6-1 odds in the nine-horse race, Golden Tempo returned $14 for a win bet, $7.32 to place, and $3.88 to show. Commandment, who started at 5-1, delivered $7.02 and $4.08 payouts. Renegade paid $2.52.
