2026 Belmont Stakes Contenders & Odds

Renegade 2-1 Morning Line Odds Favorite for the 158th Belmont Stakes

The 2026 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will be held at Saratoga Race Course from Wednesday, June 3, through Sunday, June 7. Highlighted by the 158th edition of Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes on Saturday, June 6, the 2026 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will include 10 Grade 1 races among 18 graded stakes across five days of world class competition.

With a new and re-imagined Belmont Park to open for live racing on September 18, 2026, the Belmont Stakes will return to its Long Island Home beginning in 2027.

2026 Belmont Stakes Probables

With the Kentucky Derby and Preakness in the rearview mirror alleyes are focused on the upcoming Belmont Stakes on June 6! Below are the probable three-year-old horses prepping for the big race:

Golden Tempo

At 23-1 odds, Golden Tempo and jockey Jose Ortiz made an improbable last-to-first move in the Kentucky Derby, beating out Renegade (and Jose's brother, Irad) in the final strides.

Golden Tempo made history for Cherie DeVaux, who became the first-ever female trainer to win the Kentucky Derby.

Connections have opted to bypass the Preakness in order to give Golden Tempo more time to recover. He will target the Belmont Stakes for his next start.

Jockey Jose Ortiz won the Belmont Stakes in 2017 aboard Tapwrit.

Golden Tempo co-owner Vinnie Viola (St. Elias Stable) also owns the NHL's Florida Panthers.

Renegade

Kentucky Derby morning line favorite Renegade came a close second to Paladin in the Grade 2 Remsen, before going on to win the Sam F. Davis Stakes and Grade 1 Arkansas Derby.

In the Kentucky Derby, Renegade closed valiantly and led momentarily in the stretch, but was ultimately second best to Golden Tempo.

According to connections, Renegade has shipped to Saratoga and will target the Belmont Stakes.

Commandment

Commandment made himself a top Derby contender after winning the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes and Grade 1 Florida Derby.

In the Kentucky Derby, Commandment sat a mid-pack trip and made a mild bid, encountering some jostling in the stretch and finishing seventh.

Trainer Brad Cox won the Belmont Stakes in 2021 with Essential Quality.

Chief Wallabee

Despite having only one win, Chief Wallabee remains a formidable opponent. He has hit the board in both of his Kentucky Derby prep races, the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth and Grade 1 Florida Derby, facing stout competition the likes of The Puma and Commandment down in Gulfstream Park.

In the Kentucky Derby, Chief Wallabee sat a mid-pack trip and encountered bumping in the stretch, but closed well to finish fourth.

Chief Wallabee has shipped to Saratoga, and will target the Belmont Stakes.

Emerging Market

Unraced as a two-year-old and lightly raced overall, Emerging Market punched his ticket to the Kentucky Derby by winning the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby - only his second career race.

In the Kentucky Derby (his most recent start), Emerging Market tracked the pace but flattened out in the stretch, finishing 10th.

This colt has Belmont success in his pedigree: Empire Maker, his dam's sire, won the 2003 Belmont Stakes.

Five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown, a native of nearby Mechanicville, is in pursuit of his first Belmont Stakes win.

Growth Equity

Growth Equity enters the Belmont Stakes off a win in the G3 Peter Pan, the traditional local prep. It took this son of Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist three tries to break his maiden, but he has never finished outside of the exacta in his four career starts.

Ottinho

Ottinho has just one win to date but has never finished out of the money, including a runner-up effort in the G1 Blue Grass. Ottinho is a homebred for Three Chimneys Farm.

Once again - Five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown, a native of nearby Mechanicville, is in pursuit of his first Belmont Stakes win.

Powershift

Powershift, after placing sixth in the Tampa Bay Derby, broke his maiden Kentucky Derby weekend at Churchill Downs. Now he looks to step up the competiton and into the spotlight in the Belmont Stakes.

Per Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, "I thought it was very good work for Renegade," Pletcher said. "He's a steady work horse and he recovered really quickly and didn't seem to be fatigued at all from it, so I'm happy with it. Powershift is a good work horse, and they've been [work] companions quite a bit. They make good mates, and I thought they both went well."

Both Renegade and Powershift are now contenders for the Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes, a 10-furlong test for sophomores slated for Saturday, June 6 during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course."

Vitruvian Man

Vitruvian Man, a son of Vino Rosso and 3rd in the Santa Anita Derby, is confirmed to run in the Belmont Stakes, per trainer Doug O'Neill. Antonio Fresu, who rode Vitruvian Man in the Santa Anita Derby, will ride again.

Run Fast Racing, a partnership that includes superstar recording artists Lil Wayne, Lil Yachty, and Rauw Alejandro, has invested a stake in Vitruvian Man with owner-breeder Glenn Sorgenstein.

Trainer Doug O'Neill has serious credentials with two Kentucky Derby victories under his belt, but has never won the Belmont Stakes.

The following horses bowed out of the Belmont Stakes prior to the draw:

Ocelli

**UPDATE** May 31 - Ocelli, who finished third in the Kentucky Derby on May 2 and fourth in the Preakness on May 16, to bypass Belmont Stakes. Will point to Ohio Derby on 6/20, per trainer Whit Beckman.

This means the Belmont Stakes, barring any surprise late entries, will go with nine horses.

Although winless, Ocelli was able to finish third in the Kentucky Derby and Wood Memorial, fourth in the Preakness.

Potente

**UPDATE** May 27 - Potente will skip the Belmont Stakes, per trainer Steve Asmussen. No confirmed next start for Chip.

Trained by two-time Triple Crown winner Bob Baffert, Potente is not a horse to count out. Potente won the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes and came in second to fellow Kentucky Derby contender, So Happy, riden by the legendary Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby. In the Kentucky Derby, Potente ran mid-pack and finished 12th.

Chip Honcho

**UPDATE** May 27 - Potente will skip the Belmont Stakes, per trainer Bob Baffert, and run in the Grade III $500,000 Matt Winn Stakes on Sunday, June 7 at Churchill Downs.

Chip Honcho has banked over half a million in earnings, including a third-place finish in the Preakness. His HOF trainer Steve Asmussen won the Belmont Stakes in 2016 with Creator.

Further Ado

**UPDATE** May 23 - G1 winner FURTHER ADO is being pointed to the G3 Matt Winn Stakes on June 7th at Churchill Downs. The Brad Cox trainee will look to use this race to bounce back from his 11th place finish in the Kentucky Derby.

Heading into the Kentucky Derby, Further Ado had won three of his last four starts, including the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes and Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes. In the Derby, Further Ado went off as the slight post time favorite, but encountered bumping out of the gate and in the stretch, never posing a major threat.

Iron Honor

**UPDATE** May 20 - NAPOLEON SOLO and IRON HONOR could be on a collision course in the G1 Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park in July.

Iron Honor has become a regular on the New York circuit with all three of his starts coming at Aqueduct Racetrack. He saw some success winning the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes, before running seventh in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial. He looks to improve in the Preakness Stakes.

Napoleon Solo

**UPDATE** May 18 - Trainer Chad Summers has shipped Solo to Belmont Park and announced the horse's next start will most likely be the Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park in July.

Napoleon Solo broke his maiden on debut at Saratoga, then won the G1 Champagne impressively. His three-year-old campaign began with a pair of fifth-place finishes in the G2 Fountain of Youth and G2 Wood Memorial, before earning his biggest victory yet in the Preakness at 7-1 odds.

Golden Tempo skipping Preakness, will target Belmont Stakes

May 6 - Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo (Curlin) will bypass the Preakness Stakes.

The news was announced Wednesday by the colt's trainer, Cherie DeVaux.

The statement reads: "After much thoughtful discussion as a team, we have decided that Golden Tempo will bypass the Preakness Stakes. We are incredibly appreciative of the excitement and support surrounding the possibility of a Triple Crown run. The enthusiasm from racing fans, our owners, and our entire team has meant more to us than we can properly express. Golden gave us the race of a lifetime in the Kentucky Derby, and we believe the best decision for him moving forward is to give him a little more time following such a tremendous effort. His health, happiness, and long-term future will always remain our top priority. We are looking forward to pointing him toward the Belmont Stakes and are excited for what lies ahead with this very special horse. Thank you again to everyone who has supported and believed in this journey alongside us."

This is the second straight year in which the Kentucky Derby winner has not gone on towards the Preakness after Sovereignty (Into Mischief) opted to skip it last year en route to a Horse of the Year campaign.

Rich Strike (Keen Ice) also skipped the Preakness in 2022.

G3 Peter Pan Growth Equity Victor considering Belmont Stakes

May 10 - Growth Equity (Klaravich Stables) made a successful stakes debut with a two-length score under Flavien Prat in Saturday's Grade 3, $200,000 Peter Pan Stakes, a nine-furlong route for sophomores, at Belmont at the Big A.

Trained by five-time Eclipse Award-winner Chad Brown, the Nyquist bay was second in his first two career starts, both at sprint distances. Stretched out to Aqueduct's one-turn mile on March 20, Growth Equity graduated third-out by 4 1/4 lengths, validating that performance in the Peter Pan via a stalking victory over Listed Withers-winner Talk to Me Jimmy with Grade 3-winner Trendsetter in third.

"He looks good so far," Brown said of Growth Equity's status Sunday morning. "That was a nice step forward. I was glad to see him handle two turns. I thought that he ran well. I think the runner-up is a nice horse. So, that was a nice, positive move forward. No immediate plans yet, but I was very pleased with the race."

The Peter Pan is the traditional New York prep for the 10-furlong Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes slated for Saturday, June 6 at Saratoga Race Course. The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) has waived entry and starting fees to the Belmont Stakes for the first three finishers of the Peter Pan.

"I'm going to see how the horse comes out of this race when we put him back under tack and out on the track," said Brown. "We'll keep an eye on [the Belmont Stakes]. We'll keep it as a possibility, for sure, but it is not the only possibility."

Another logical path could be the Listed $125,000 Pegasus on June 13 at Monmouth Park to the Grade 1, $1 million Haskell on July 18 there.

"Very well could be a good plan, I agree," said Brown.

Growth Equity earned a career-best 93 Beyer Speed Figure for his Peter Pan victory, showing Beyer improvement in each of his four starts thus far. Bred in Kentucky by Stone Farm, he was a $425,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase and is out of the Grade 3-placed Wildcat Heir mare My Dear Venezuela - a half-sister to Grade 2-placed multiple stakes-winner Selva.

On Saturday, Grade 3-winner Iron Honor and Grade 1-placed Ottinho, working together, breezed a half-mile in 48 seconds flat over the Belmont Park dirt training track.

St. Elias Stable, William H. Lawrence and Glassman Racing's Iron Honor captured the one-turn mile Grade 3 Gotham in February at Aqueduct ahead of a last-out troubled seventh in the local nine-furlong Grade 2 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino on April 4. The Nyquist bay is targeting a rebound in Saturday's Grade 1, $2 million Preakness, a 1 3/16-mile test for sophomores, held this year at Laurel Park.

"That work went well. Iron Honor came out of it very well. I'd say that we are in good shape to head over and try the Preakness," Brown said. "We will give him another shot going two turns."

Three Chimneys Farm's Kentucky homebred Ottinho was the runner-up to Further Ado in the nine-furlong Grade 1 Blue Grass last out on April 4 at Keeneland. The Quality Road bay went to Churchill Downs later that month to train and had a minor foot issue that Brown said has since been resolved. Ottinho is possible for the Belmont Stakes.

"I want to keep him as a Belmont possibility," Brown said. "I was pleased with that last effort. He had a minor issue with his foot that we discovered at Churchill, and we rectified that with a bar shoe. He seems to be very sound and moving forward again."

Highlighted by the 158th edition of the Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes on Saturday, June 6, the 2026 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will include 10 Grade 1 races among 18 graded stakes across five days of world class competition. Bet New York horse racing with OffTrackBetting.com online OTB!

Renegade Training at Saratoga For Belmont Stakes

May 8 - A strong group of some of racing's top performers have made their way to Saratoga Race Course's Oklahoma training track in advance of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival slated for June 3-7 at the iconic upstate New York racetrack.

Leading the group is Grade 1 Arkansas Derby-winner and recent Grade 1 Kentucky Derby runner-up Renegade, who arrived in Saratoga on Wednesday for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. The son of Into Mischief returned to the track on Thursday, and again on Friday morning for some light exercise in his first on-track appearances since finishing a neck second to Golden Tempo in the "Run for the Roses" last Saturday at Churchill Downs.

Renegade is in Saratoga to prepare for an intended start in the 10-furlong Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes on June 6.

"He got back to the track yesterday and seems to be in good form," Pletcher said. "He seemed to bounce out of it [the Derby] well and shipped nicely. He's probably enjoying the cooler weather. He'll have a couple breezes between now and the Belmont, and I haven't really firmed up anything. We'll monitor him this week and see how he does."

Campaigned by Robert Low, Lawana Low and Repole Stable, Renegade was an emphatic four-length winner of the Arkansas Derby on March 28 at Oaklawn Park, an effort that earned him morning-line favoritism in the Kentucky Derby.

Renegade emerged from the inside post in the field of 18 as the second choice and endured a troubled start when bumped by squeezing rivals and pushed down further to the rail under Irad Ortiz, Jr. He tracked in 15th position at the three-quarters call and steadily made up ground while weaving through rivals and swinging wide into the lane and enduring more bumping. He took dead aim at the embattled pair of Danon Bourbon and Ocelli and reeled in those foes in the final sixteenth, but Golden Tempo was right on his flank after his bid from last and got his neck down over Renegade in the shadow of the wire.

Pletcher said he was proud of Renegade's effort after the trouble he endured.

"He was super game, and it was just unfortunate he got bounced around a bit," Pletcher said. "He still finished great."

Renegade would likely face a rematch with the Cherie DeVaux-trained Golden Tempo in the Belmont, and potentially Kentucky Derby fourth-place finisher Chief Wallabee, who is also in Saratoga for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.

"We always love the Belmont, and we're excited for him, and just hoping everything goes smoothly," said Pletcher, who has won the Belmont Stakes four times with the filly Rags to Riches [2007], Palace Malice [2013], Tapwrit [2017] and Mo Donegal [2022].

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