2026 Belmont Stakes - Renegade and Powershift Prep at Saratoga
Renegade & Powershift Ramp Up Prep Work for G1 Belmont Stakes
Grade 1 Arkansas Derby-winner Renegade and impressive last-out maiden winner Powershift were both put to work in company Thursday over Saratoga Race Course's Oklahoma dirt training track by Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. The pair covered a half-mile in 49 and 4/5 seconds according to The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) clockers.
Renegade, who was last seen finishing an admirable second to Golden Tempo in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby, breezed to the outside of Powershift, the latter passing the wire about a half-length in front of his workmate. It was the first work back for both colts since their respective efforts on May 2 at Churchill Downs.
"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.
Highlighted by the 158th edition of the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes, the 2026 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will include 10 Grade 1 races among 18 graded stakes across five days of world class competition.
Renegade has been targeting the Belmont Stakes since his effort in the Kentucky Derby, and Pletcher said shortly after the work that Powershift may join him in the third jewel of the Triple Crown after impressing in both his 2 3/4-length maiden win facing elders on the Derby undercard and in the work.
"I've got to talk to Mike [Repole], but we are considering the Belmont," Pletcher said. "We've always thought a lot of him and I think they compliment each other's racing styles. It's in play."
Powershift (Repole Stables), a son of Constitution, finished a three-quarter length second on debut in February to next-out Grade 2 Louisiana Derby-winner and Belmont Stakes aspirant Emerging Market. He followed with a sixth-place finish in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby in March, but rebounded strongly with his maiden-breaking effort with a stalk-and-pounce trip around 1 1/16-miles under Irad Ortiz, Jr.
Renegade, owned by Repole with Robert and Lawana Low, was an emphatic winner of the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby on March 28 at Oaklawn Park, and drew the rail in the 18-horse Kentucky Derby, where he was slammed at the start and traveled in 16th at the three-quarters call. He was bumped again in the stretch as he went wide and reeled in Ocelli in the final sixteenth but was caught late with Golden Tempo sticking his neck in front at the wire.
"He's a brave horse and a lot of horses might not have rebounded and run as well as he did considering all the bumping around he took early," Pletcher said. "I thought he ran a very courageous race. He was a little tired afterwards, which you would expect, but it seems like his energy level is back where we want it now."
As for what Pletcher would like to see from Powershift in the coming weeks to firm up Belmont plans, the veteran conditioner said he hopes for much of the same from the talented dark bay.
"We just want to see another breeze like he had today. He carries good condition, and it seems he bounced out of the Churchill race really well," Pletcher said. "It's kind of the trend of American racing now - lighter-raced horses running in bigger races."
Pletcher is expected to have a strong hand during the five-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival from June 3-7 at Saratoga, including in the Grade 1 Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan Handicap, where he will send out Centennial Farms' Grade 1-winner Antiquarian off a successful seasonal debut in the Grade 3 Westchester on May 3 at Belmont at the Big A.
"He's doing well," he said. "He's the same as always - a great horse to train who goes out there and does his job every day."
Disruptor (Repole Stable, Spendthrift Farm, Big Easy Racing, Titletown Racing, Winners Win, Golconda Stable, Ali Goodrich and Mark Parkinson) remains possible to join Antiquarian in the Met Mile off a runner-up effort to T O Elvis in the Grade 1 Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby Day. The son of Gun Runner stayed at Churchill following his effort and is expected to ship to Saratoga in the next day or two, with an eye on returning to the work tab sometime next week.
"[The Met Mile] is possible," Pletcher said. "We'll see how quickly he settles in and we've got really nothing etched in stone yet."
On Wednesday at Saratoga, Pletcher sent out Repole Stable's Be You to work a solo half-mile in 49.25 seconds over the Oklahoma in his first move since a fifth in the Listed Knicks Go Overnight on Derby Day at Churchill. The 5-year-old Curlin gelding won the Listed Toboggan in February at Aqueduct Racetrack, and was third in the Grade 2 Carter presented by NYRA Bets on April 4.
"I thought it was good, just kind of a maintenance half by himself," Pletcher said. "He looked well. He tries hard every time he runs."
Pletcher has circled the 6 1/2-furlong Grade 3, $400,000 True North on June 6 Belmont Stakes Day as the next likely target for Be You.
Pletcher also noted that Repole Stable's Grade 3-winner Grande, sixth in the Grade 2 Alysheba last out on May 1 at Churchill, is eyeing the Grade 3 Salvator Mile on June 13 at Monmouth Park.
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