Golden Tempo Wins the 158th Belmont Stakes After Kentucky Derby Victory
Golden Tempo delivered a powerful stretch run once again, winning the 158th Belmont Stakes on Saturday and cementing his status as one of the top 3-year-olds of his generation.Ridden by Jose Ortiz, Golden Tempo came from 12 lengths back to overtake the field and win the 1¼-mile race in 2:03.49. The victory comes five weeks after his dramatic last-to-first triumph in the Kentucky Derby.“Golden Tempo is amazing.
Jose is amazing,” said trainer Cherie DeVaux. “I think he needed to do this to show that he was meant to win the Derby and that he belongs in the conversation of the best 3-year-olds.”Golden Tempo, sent off at 6-1 odds, held off Commandment by 1¼ lengths. Renegade, the 8-5 favorite, finished third.“I followed them closely in the second turn,” Ortiz said. “When I asked him to go, my horse responded immediately.”
The win made DeVaux the first woman to train multiple Triple Crown race winners. She became the second woman in four years to win the Belmont Stakes, following Jena Antonucci with Arcangelo in 2023.Golden Tempo skipped the Preakness Stakes, becoming the second horse in as many years to win both the Kentucky Derby and Belmont while bypassing the middle jewel of the Triple Crown.Despite a slower pace than he faced in the Derby, Golden Tempo still produced a strong closing kick. “He wasn’t going to get that same setup as in the Derby,” Ortiz noted. “But today he showed up and won anyway.”
This was the final time the Belmont Stakes is being held at Saratoga Race Course due to renovations at Belmont Park. The race will return to its traditional 1½-mile distance next year.Golden Tempo paid $14.00 to win, $7.32 to place, and $3.88 to show. Commandment paid $7.02 to place and $4.08 to show, while Renegade paid $2.52 to show.
Jose Ortiz earned his second Belmont Stakes victory, nine years after winning aboard Tapwrit in 2017. Co-owner Vinnie Viola dedicated the win to his late friend Dominic DiPrisco.The victory capped a memorable day for DeVaux, who was born in Saratoga Springs and received strong support from the local crowd.
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