The 158th Belmont Stakes
The great trainer Todd Pletcher goes for his fifth Belmont Stakes victory with Arkansas Derby winner and second place Derby finisher Renegade. (Photo courtesy of Thoroughbred Daily News).
The third crown jewel of American Classic Horse Racing transpires today at 6:04 P.M. CT/ 7:04 Eastern Post time as the 158th Belmont Stakes unfolds at Saratoga Springs, New York, in upstate New York. Saratoga Springs is hosting its second straight Belmont as Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., on Long Island, is going through a massive renovation and will re-open for the 2027 Belmont. Belmont Park is a 1 1/2 mile track and called “the Test of the Champion.” Saratoga Springs is a 1 1/4 mile track, so it favors more speed. The forecast is for rain today, not guaranteed, but good chances of rain and maybe a t storm, over 50% in the afternoon leading up to the race.
Trainer Todd Pletcher and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. have the favorite in 2/1 Renegade, which finished second at the Kentucky Derby and won the Arkansas Derby. It’s a nine horse field with good talent. Here are Post positions, horses, odds, trainers and jockeys for the 158th edition of the Belmont.
FOX will Televise with coverage starting around 2 P.M. CT/3 ET
1. Vitruvian Man, 30/1, Doug O’Neill, Antonio Fresu
2. Powershift, 12/1, Todd Pletcher, Luis Saez
3. Chief Wallabee, 3/1, Bill Mott, Junior Alvarado
4.Renegade, 2/1, Todd Pletcher, Irad Ortiz Jr.
5. Ottinho, 20/1, Chad Brown, Dylan Davis
6. Growth Equity, 12/1, Chad Brown, Manny Franco
7. Commandment, 6/1, Brad Cox, John Velazquez
8. Emerging Market, 6/1, Chad Brown, Flavien Prat
9. Golden Tempo, 9/2, Cherie DeVaux, Jose Ortiz
Winner/ Predictions
There is excellent talent in this field including Derby winner Golden Tempo, trainer Cherie DeVaux’s horse. The great Todd Pletcher, winning trainer in the Belmont in 2007, 2013, 2017 and 2022, has the favorite, Renegade, at 2/1. A lot of people are high on Chief Wallabee at 3/1. Trainer Bill Mott has won the Belmont in 2010 and in 2025 with Sovereignty. Mott also won the Derby in 2019 and 2025 also with Sovereignty. Others like Florida Derby winner Commandment with the terrific tandem of trainer Brad Cox and jockey John Velazquez. Velazquez is a three time winner at the Derby (2011, ’17, 2020), a two time Belmont winner (2007, 2012) and a Preakness winner in 2023.
But I’m going to take a different thoroughbred. I like trainer Chad Brown, who has three horses entered in the Belmont, the great jockey Flavien Prat, who finished second to Napoleon Solo in the Preakness aboard Iron Honor, and the horse that won the Louisiana Derby. I like this pony to capture the third leg of the Triple Crown. Brown has won two Preaknesses, 2017 and 2022. And Prat won the Derby in 2019 and the Preakness in 2021. This could be a wetter track with rain predicted, which favors horses like this one and Golden Tempo, known as good wet track racers. Give me, 6/1:
Emerging Market
