Result · 158th Running Updated May 18, 2026

2026 Belmont Stakes Results

Golden Tempo won the 158th Belmont Stakes on Saturday, June 6, 2026 at Saratoga Race Course, the third straight year at Saratoga while Belmont Park is rebuilt. The Kentucky Derby winner skipped the Preakness, returned fresh, and rallied from last to first under Jose Ortiz to win by 1 1/2 lengths in 2:03.49 at 6-1. Preakness winner Napoleon Solo skipped the race, so there was no Triple Crown on the line. The race ran at 1 1/4 miles, the same distance as the Derby, due to Saratoga's track configuration.

G. TempoWinner (6-1)

2:03.49Final Time

1 1/4Miles (Dirt)

$2MPurse

Final Result & Finishing Order

Golden Tempo stumbled at the break from post 9, settled at the back of the nine-horse field under Jose Ortiz, then swept past the field through the Saratoga stretch to win the 158th Belmont Stakes.

Payouts

Win / Place / Show (Golden Tempo) $14.00 / $7.32 / $3.88

Exacta (9-7) $111.34 ($2 base)

Trifecta (9-7-4) $102.64 ($1 base)

Superfecta (9-7-4-3) $237.98 ($1 base)

Finish	PP	Horse	Notes
1	9	Golden Tempo	Kentucky Derby winner. Skipped the Preakness, returned fresh, and rallied from last to first under Jose Ortiz. Cherie DeVaux became the first female trainer to win two Triple Crown legs in the same year.
2	7	Commandment	Fresh shooter who skipped the Preakness to point for the Belmont; led into the stretch before Golden Tempo collared him.
3	4	Renegade	Derby runner-up and betting favorite; kept on for third but never threatened the winner.
4	-	Chief Wallabee	Fourth in the Derby and fourth again at Saratoga.
5	-	Emerging Market	Skipped the Preakness to prep for the Belmont.
6	-	Growth Equity	Peter Pan Stakes winner with Saratoga form.
7	-	Vitruvian Man
8	-	Ottinho
9	-	Powershift

Why Saratoga; and Why 1 1/4 Miles

This was the third consecutive Belmont at Saratoga Race Course, where the race has been hosted since 2024 as Belmont Park undergoes a $455 million reconstruction. The race is expected to return to a fully rebuilt Belmont Park in 2027.

Saratoga's main track is 1 1/8 miles around; too short for the traditional 1 1/2-mile "Test of the Champion" distance. As in 2024 and 2025, the race was contested at 1 1/4 miles, identical to the Kentucky Derby distance.

For bettors, the shorter distance has practical consequences:

Speed and tactical horses are advantaged; the full 1 1/2-mile Belmont traditionally favored stamina specialists who could close from off the pace. At 1 1/4 miles, the race is essentially another Derby.
Faster final times; Sovereignty's 2025 winning time was 2:00.92, and Dornoch ran 2:01.64 in 2024. By contrast, the last Belmont Park edition (2023) was won by Arcangelo in 2:29.23.
Derby form matters more than usual; at the traditional Belmont distance, fresh shooters and Preakness skippers often outran their odds. At 1 1/4 miles, the Derby winner profile holds up better.

No Triple Crown; But a Compelling Result

Because Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo skipped the Preakness, no 2026 Triple Crown was possible; only Justify (2018) and American Pharoah (2015) completed the sweep in the past three decades, and the absence of a Triple Crown contender removed some of the speculative public money that typically inflates Belmont win pools.

Preakness winner Napoleon Solo ultimately skipped the Belmont to point toward the Haskell, so the race turned into a Derby rematch. Derby runner-up Renegade went off the betting favorite but could only manage third; it was Golden Tempo, returning fresh off the Derby win, who proved best, closing from last to first. He leaves the 2026 classic season two-for-two in the legs he entered.

Belmont at Saratoga; Recent Winners

Year	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Time	Odds
2026	Golden Tempo	Jose Ortiz	Cherie DeVaux	2:03.49	6-1
2025	Sovereignty	Junior Alvarado	Bill Mott	2:00.92	7-2
2024	Dornoch	Luis Saez	Danny Gargan	2:01.64	17-1

2024, 2025, and 2026 are the modern editions held at Saratoga at 1 1/4 miles. Belmont Park is expected to return in 2027 at the traditional 1 1/2-mile distance.

Best Kentucky Sportsbooks for the Belmont

FanDuel (with full TVG integration) is the strongest all-around option for Belmont wagering. DraftKings and bet365 round out the top three for fixed-odds futures markets.

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How to Bet the Belmont from Kentucky

You can wager on the Belmont in Kentucky through two channels:

Pari-Mutuel Pools (Traditional)

TwinSpires; Churchill Downs Inc.'s wagering platform
TVG (integrated into FanDuel Sportsbook)
1/ST BET; operated by 1/ST Racing
NYRA Bets; NYRA's own platform; pools route directly into Belmont's host-track pool

Pari-mutuel payouts fluctuate until post time. Final odds are not known until betting closes.

Fixed-Odds Futures

FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, bet365, Caesars, Fanatics, Circa Sports, theScore Bet; all offer Belmont futures markets opening 2-3 weeks pre-race.
Fixed-odds lock your price at time of bet. Useful if you expect the public to pile onto a favorite and compress payouts late.

Bet Types

Win / Place / Show; straight pari-mutuel
Exacta; top 2 in exact order
Trifecta; top 3 in exact order
Superfecta; top 4 in exact order (10-cent minimum at most platforms)
Daily Double / Pick 3 / Pick 4 / Pick 5; multi-race sequences from the Belmont undercard
Match-up props; head-to-head fixed-odds matchups (e.g., Golden Tempo vs Napoleon Solo finishing position)

Belmont Stakes 2026 FAQ

Who won the 2026 Belmont Stakes?

Golden Tempo won the 158th Belmont Stakes on Saturday, June 6, 2026 at Saratoga Race Course. The Kentucky Derby winner, sent off at 6-1 under Jose Ortiz for trainer Cherie DeVaux, rallied from last to first to win by 1 1/2 lengths in 2:03.49. Commandment was second and betting favorite Renegade third.

What were the 2026 Belmont Stakes payouts?

Golden Tempo paid $14.00 / $7.32 / $3.88 (win/place/show, $2 base). The $2 exacta (9-7) returned $111.34, the $1 trifecta (9-7-4) paid $102.64, and the $1 superfecta (9-7-4-3) paid $237.98.

Why was the 2026 Belmont at Saratoga instead of Belmont Park?

It was the third consecutive year the Belmont Stakes ran at Saratoga while Belmont Park undergoes a $455 million reconstruction. The renovated Belmont Park is scheduled to reopen for the 2027 Belmont Stakes.

What was the Belmont Stakes distance at Saratoga?

The 2026 Belmont Stakes was contested at 1 1/4 miles (10 furlongs); the same distance as the Kentucky Derby. The traditional 1 1/2-mile Belmont distance does not fit Saratoga's main track configuration. The race is expected to return to 1 1/2 miles at Belmont Park in 2027.

Was the Triple Crown possible in 2026?

No. A Triple Crown requires the same horse to win all three legs (Derby, Preakness, Belmont). Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo skipped the Preakness; the Preakness was won by Napoleon Solo; so no single horse could sweep the series in 2026. It was the first guaranteed absence of a Triple Crown since 2018 (Justify).

Did the Kentucky Derby winner win the Belmont?

Yes. Golden Tempo, who won the Derby on May 2 and skipped the Preakness, returned fresh after five weeks and won the Belmont at 6-1. Renegade (Derby runner-up) was third and Chief Wallabee (Derby 4th) was fourth.

Did Napoleon Solo run in the Belmont?

No. Despite early speculation, Preakness winner Napoleon Solo skipped the Belmont to point toward the Haskell Stakes, so the field did not feature the 2026 Preakness winner. The race became a Derby-rematch rather than a Triple Crown showdown.

How can I bet horse racing from Kentucky?

Every licensed Kentucky online sportsbook offers fixed-odds racing futures, and ADW platforms handle pari-mutuel pools on race day. Top platforms: FanDuel/TVG, TwinSpires, 1/ST BET (NYRA's preferred operator), DraftKings, BetMGM, bet365. You must be physically located in Kentucky and meet the legal age requirement (18+ currently, 21+ from July 13, 2026).