06/01/26 05:08:00
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06/01 17:06 CDT Renegade is the 2-1 favorite for the Belmont Stakes rematch
with Derby winner Golden Tempo
Renegade is the 2-1 favorite for the Belmont Stakes rematch with Derby winner
Golden Tempo
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (AP) --- Kentucky Derby runner-up Renegade opened as the
2-1 favorite for the the 158th Belmont Stakes when post positions were drawn
Monday for the third leg of the Triple Crown.
Renegade drew post position No. 4 and is set to be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. The
Todd Pletcher-trained horse is coming off finishing second by a neck in the
Derby to Cherie DeVaux-trained Golden Tempo, who opened as the 9-2 third
choice. Golden Tempo will start on the outside Saturday after drawing the No. 9
post in the nine-horse field.
DeVaux made history as the first woman to train a Derby winner. She returns to
Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York, where she was born and
spent some of her early career looking to win two Triple Crown races in the
same year.
Golden Tempo, with Jose Ortiz set to be aboard, is running for the first time
after DeVaux and owners decided not to run him in the Preakness Stakes.
"The field can go out ahead of him, and he'll just find himself in the back of
the pack early in the race," DeVaux said.
Bill Mott's Chief Wallabee was the second choice at 3-1 after being fourth in
the Derby and will start the race out of the No. 3 post. Mott won the Derby and
the Belmont with Sovereignty last year. Jockey Junior Alvarado will look to
bring Mott another Belmont win.
"Our horse seems to be doing well," Mott said. "He doesn't seem to have taken a
step backwards since the Derby. It seems like he's been on an upwards
progression."
The rematch of Golden Tempo and Renegade highlights the third and final Belmont
at Saratoga. It has taken place at the historic track in upstate New York while
Belmont Park is undergoing a full reconstruction.
New York-based trainer Chad Brown has the most horses entered in the race,
headlined by Derby 10th-place finisher Emerging Market, who opened at 6-1 with
Flavien Prat lined up to ride. Brown, who has never won the Belmont, also has
Ottinho (20-1) and Growth Equity (12-1).
"He hasn't taken a step back from the Derby," Brown said on Emerging Market.
"It was kind of a rough race for him. He came out of there in one piece, and we
got him up here a few days after and he's been doing really well."
The rest of the nine-horse field includes Brad Cox's Commandment (6-1), Doug
O'Neill's longshot Vitruvian Man (30-1), and Pletcher's second horse,
Powershift (12-1).
This year's field doesn't include any horses that ran in the Preakness,
including winner Napoleon Solo.
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AP horse racing: https://apnews.com/hub/horse-racing
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