2026 Belmont Stakes: Meet the contenders and watch them run

The 158th running of the Belmont Stakes arrives this Saturday, and while the Triple Crown is not on the line, the event is set to deliver an electric showdown. Horse racing fans will be treated to a major rematch between the top two finishers of this year's Kentucky Derby: Golden Tempo and Renegade.

A Derby Rematch in Saratoga

When these colts last met on May 2, they put on a show down the stretch. Golden Tempo shocked the field as a 23-1 long shot, beating the morning-line favorite by a neck. Interestingly, neither horse participated in the Preakness Stakes, which was claimed by Napoleon Solo—who is absent from this weekend’s lineup.

For the third consecutive year, the race is hosted at the Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York, while the new Belmont Park in Elmont remains under construction. Consequently, the distance for the “Test of the Champion” is set at 1.25 miles, matching the length of the Kentucky Derby.

The Betting Landscape

Renegade enters as the morning-line favorite at 2-1, seeking redemption after his narrow Derby loss. Chief Wallabee, who finished fourth in the Kentucky Derby, sits at 3-1 odds, while Derby champion Golden Tempo is listed at 9-2. The race carries a total purse of $2 million, with a cool $1.2 million earmarked for the winner. Since Justify’s historic Triple Crown sweep in 2018, every leg of the series has crowned a different winner.

Coverage begins on FOX at 2 p.m. this Saturday, with the official post time scheduled for 6:04 p.m. CDT.

Meet the Field

Here are the nine contenders vying for victory at the 158th Belmont Stakes:

Post Position 1: Vitruvian Man (30-1)
Trainer: Doug O’Neil. Jockey: Antonio Fresu. Record: 6-1-1-2. Earnings: $142,345. Pedigree: Caradini by Vino Rosso.

Post Position 2: Powershift (12-1)
Trainer: Todd Pletcher. Jockey: Luis Saez. Record: 3-1-1-0. Earnings: $81,896. Pedigree: Free Flying Soul by Constitution.

Post Position 3: Chief Wallabee (3-1)
Trainer: Bill Mott. Jockey: Junior Alvarado. Record: 4-1-1-1. Earnings: $466,600. Pedigree: A La Lucie by Constitution.

Post Position 4: Renegade (2-1)
Trainer: Todd Pletcher. Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr. Record: 6-2-3-1. Earnings: $2,031,500. Pedigree: Spice Is Nice by Into Mischief.

Post Position 5: Ottinho (20-1)
Trainer: Chad Brown. Jockey: Dylan Davis. Record: 4-1-1-2. Earnings: $324,700. Pedigree: Quiet Giant by Quality Road.

Post Position 6: Growth Equity (20-1)
Trainer: Chad Brown. Jockey: Manny Franco. Record: 4-2-2-0. Earnings: $187,600. Pedigree: My Dear Venezuela by Nyquist.

Post Position 7: Commandment (6-1)
Trainer: Brad Cox. Jockey: John Velazquez. Record: 6-4-0-0. Earnings: $1,017,339. Pedigree: Sippican Harbor by Into Mischief.

Post Position 8: Emerging Market (6-1)
Trainer: Chad Brown. Jockey: Flavien Prat. Record: 3-2-0-0. Earnings: $618,880. Pedigree: Wild Express by Candy Ride.

Post Position 9: Golden Tempo (9-2)
Trainer: Cherie DeVaux. Jockey: Jose Ortiz. Record: 5-3-0-2. Earnings: $3,433,000. Pedigree: Carrumba by Curlin.