The bay thoroughbred Golden Tempo once again displayed his spectacular come-from-behind prowess, this time charging from back in the pack to win the Belmont Stakes on Saturday and notching another historic first for his female trainer.
Ridden by jockey Jose Ortiz from 12 lengths off the lead, Golden Tempo rocketed ahead from a group on the outside in the home stretch to win the 158th rendition of the race.
The victory came five weeks after his last-to-first charge to win the Kentucky Derby.
“Golden Tempo is amazing. Jose is amazing,” said his trainer Cherie DeVaux, as reported by ESPN. “I think he needed to do this to kind of show that he was meant to win the Derby and that he is a horse that belongs in that conversation of being one of the top 3-year-olds.”
A month ago, on May 2, DeVaux became the first woman to train a Kentucky Derby winner. She became the second woman in four years to do so at the Belmont.
With the Belmont win, DeVaux is the first woman in history to win multiple Triple Crown races, according to ESPN.
Per the betting odds at race time, Golden Tempo actually was the third choice to win the race.
But Golden Tempo held off Commandment to win by a length and a quarter at 6-1 odds. Commandment placed second. Favorite Renegade placed third.
The horse turned out to be a great get. Golden Tempo paid $14 to win, $7.32 to place, and $3.88 to show.
Commandment paid $7.02 to show and $4.08 to place, while Renegade paid $2.52 to place.
Trainer Cherie DeVaux, right, greet Golden Tempo (9) and Jockey Jose Ortiz after they won the 158th running of the Belmont Stakes horse race, Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Saratoga Springs, New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Jockey Ortiz believed his horse had the right stuff for the home stretch.
“I followed them closely in the second turn,” Ortiz said. “They started to pick it up, so I did as well. I was just waiting for the right time to go all-in. When I asked him to go, my horse responded.”
“It’s overwhelming,” DeVaux said. “All the credit goes to Golden Tempo, who won the race, and Jose did a wonderful job of making it happen. But I’m just so fortunate to be in this position. It’s history-making, and I’ve kind of shied away from it, but I’m really grateful that I am that person.”
The win awards Golden Tempo two-thirds of the Triple Crown. DeVaux and owners decided to bypass the Preakness Stakes.
“We made our decision, and we won today, and we’re going to be happy about that,” DeVaux said.
The thoroughbred becomes the second horse in the past two years to win the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont after not running in the middle jewel of the Triple Crown.
Contributor Lowell Cauffiel is the best-selling author of the Los Angeles crime novel Below the Line and nine other crime novels and nonfiction titles. See lowellcauffiel.com for more.