06/06/26 06:33:00
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06/06 18:31 CDT Golden Tempo wins the 158th running of the Belmont Stakes after
winning the Kentucky Derby
Golden Tempo wins the 158th running of the Belmont Stakes after winning the
Kentucky Derby
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (AP) --- Golden Tempo won the 158th running of the
Belmont Stakes on Saturday, capturing the third leg of the Triple Crown five
weeks after winning the Kentucky Derby and making more history for trainer
Cherie DeVaux.
With jockey Jose Ortiz aboard, Golden Tempo charged down the stretch at
Saratoga Race Course to win the Belmont, holding off Commandment before the
finish line at the historic track to win at odds of 6-1. Commandment was second
and favorite Renegade third.
"Golden Tempo is amazing. Jose is amazing," said DeVaux, who was born in
Saratoga Springs and began her training career there. "I think he needed to do
this to kind of show that he was meant to win the Derby and that he is a horse
that belongs in that conversation of being one of the top 3-year-olds."
DeVaux, after becoming the first woman to train a Kentucky Derby winner, is the
second in four years to do so at the Belmont. Jena Antonucci won it with
Arcangelo in 2023. DeVaux is the first woman to win multiple Triple Crown races.
The pace was not nearly as fast as it was at Churchill Downs, yet Golden Tempo
still was able to close in time to win the 1 1/4-mile race in 2:03.49. It
didn't matter, as he was the best in the field of nine horses.
"He wasn't going to get that setup as he did in the Derby," Ortiz said. "We all
knew that, and I was a little worried about it. He needed some kind of setup.
But today, there wasn't one and he showed up today and won."
This was the third and final time for the Belmont at Saratoga in upstate New
York while its traditional home on the border of Queens and Long Island is
getting demolished and rebuilt. The race is set to return to Belmont Park next
year.
"It's so meaningful," DeVaux said. "A lot of family here. Saratoga, it's been
wonderful to have such a historic race here. ... It's so meaningful because the
town gets to have this and celebrate it along with us."
Golden Tempo paid $14 to win, $7.32 to place and $3.88 to show. Commandment
paid $7.02 to show and $4.08 to place, while Renegade --- the Derby runner-up
--- paid $2.52 to place.
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AP horse racing: https://apnews.com/hub/horse-racing
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