SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – Under overcast skies and a sudden deluge of rain, Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Golden Tempo once again delivered a powerful late rally, storming home to win Saturday’s $2 million Belmont Stakes (G1) presented by NYRA Bets at Saratoga Race Course.
The victory gave trainer Cherie DeVaux her second Triple Crown race win of the season after becoming the first woman to train a Kentucky Derby winner just five weeks earlier. Golden Tempo also became the 13th horse to complete the Kentucky Derby-Belmont Stakes double.
“Jose did the right thing and took him back knowing he makes that one run – not surprised that he won, but we’re really grateful that he did,” said DeVaux.
Breaking from post 9 under Jose Ortiz, Golden Tempo settled near the back of the field early while Powershift controlled the pace through moderate fractions of :23.96, :48.29, and 1:12.38 over the rain-soaked surface.
“He’s taken a lot of steps forward, physically and mentally, and it really showed today,” DeVaux said. “Jose found himself at the back of the pack, but he was going to be wide if he didn’t tuck in, which I was pleased with that. Jose just rode him super confidently. He knew he had a lot of horse under him, and at the top of the stretch, he had him in a position to make that run, and Golden Tempo did the rest.”
Turning for home, Chief Wallabee briefly seized command as Emerging Market and Growth Equity battled inside, but the closers quickly arrived. Golden Tempo, Commandment, and Renegade all launched their bids in upper stretch before Golden Tempo surged clear late to stop the clock in 2:03.49.
“I tried to make my move at the right time, with Renegade and Commandment. Split between them and he responded well,” Ortiz said. “He handled the track very well. He handled the mile and a quarter very well. I tried to keep him tactical, in contention with the field. I tried to keep him tactical.”
Commandment finished second after making a sweeping move alongside the winner turning for home. The Florida Derby (G1) winner rebounded well following his troubled seventh-place finish in the Kentucky Derby.
“My horse put up a really good fight,” Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez said. “I was trying to hold the eventual winner around the turn, and my horse just isn’t good on the turn. Then when we came down the lane and he actually went on with him. The last sixteenth of a mile, [Golden Tempo] outran him.”
Kentucky Derby runner-up Renegade once again made a late run, but could not replicate the same finishing kick he showed at Churchill Downs, settling for third for trainer Todd Pletcher.
“I thought [Renegade] got a pretty good trip,” Pletcher said. “He got clear late at the top of the stretch, which we were obviously looking to do. He gave [Ortiz, Jr.] a little bit of a run but not the same sustained run that he did in the Derby. I think he was just a little flat today.”
Chief Wallabee battled on gamely to finish fourth after making the lead turning for home for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott and jockey Junior Alvarado.
“He tried hard,” Mott said. “He made the lead turning for home, and it looked like a mile and a quarter was just a little too much for him.”
“We had a good trip. No real excuses,” Alvarado said. “When I made my move, my horse picked it up. He just couldn’t hold the horses that went by.”
Emerging Market made a bold move approaching the far turn and briefly looked like a major threat before flattening out late to finish fifth for trainer Chad Brown. Stablemate Growth Equity attended the pace throughout and fought on evenly to finish sixth after pressing Powershift early.
Vitruvian Man saved ground throughout much of the race before steadying entering the far turn and ultimately faded to seventh. Ottinho never seriously threatened after trailing the field early and finished eighth.
Powershift, expected to be the controlling speed, set the pace but retreated badly turning for home to complete the order of finish.
“I don’t know what happened at the quarter pole,” Pletcher said. “It looked like [Powershift] was backing up a little bit and then Luis had to grab him and steady him. He got reasonable fractions. The track’s been difficult to read all week, and we got that little bit of rain right before the race. I don’t know if that [factored in]. It seemed like kind of a slow time for this race.”
With the Belmont Stakes contested at Saratoga for the third and final time before returning to Belmont Park next year, Golden Tempo etched his name into history as the final Belmont winner at the Spa while strengthening his case as the leader of the 3-year-old division heading into the summer.
