Belmont Stakes Horses Face Saratoga Puzzle

Simon Lewis

Editor

Last updated: 47 minutes ago

Simon Lewis 47 minutes ago

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The 158th Belmont Stakes will be run on Saturday 6 June 2026.
Renegade is the favourite in a strong field of nine runners.
The race is on Saturday at 1.04am SAST with a purse of $1,200,000 for the winner.

The 157th Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course (Getty Images).

Nine horses fighting for the 2026 Belmont Stakes

Nine horses fighting for the 2026 Belmont Stakes
Renegade the early favourite
Plenty of challengers across the field

The 2026 Belmont Stakes brings together a nine-horse field at Saratoga Race Course, where the final leg of the Triple Crown will again be run away from its traditional Belmont Park home. The race is over 1¼ miles on dirt, shorter than the usual 1½-mile Belmont distance.

That change creates a different kind of test for the runners. The Belmont is famous as “The Test of the Champion” because most three-year-olds are not used to racing over such demanding distances. Even at the shortened Saratoga trip, stamina still matters, but so do balance, early position and the jockey’s timing.

Renegade the early favourite

Renegade is the 2-1 favourite from post four and looks a major player after finishing runner-up in the Kentucky Derby. Chief Wallabee, drawn just inside him in post three, is next in the market at 3-1 for trainer Bill Mott and jockey Junior Alvarado. Golden Tempo, the Kentucky Derby winner, starts from post nine and is priced at 9-2.

Behind the leading trio, Commandment and Emerging Market offer strong mid-market interest at 6-1. Emerging Market is one of three Chad Brown runners, along with Growth Equity and Ottinho. Brown has never won the Belmont, but this year saddles a third of the field, with Emerging Market, Growth Equity and Ottinho giving him multiple chances.

Plenty of challengers across the field

Powershift, a 12-1 shot for Todd Pletcher, adds another tactical angle, while Growth Equity also sits at 12-1 after arriving off a Peter Pan Stakes win. Ottinho is 20-1 and Vitruvian Man, from the inside gate, is 30-1.

The key challenge is Saratoga itself. Unlike the traditional Belmont Park version, where the long 1½-mile trip can expose any weakness, this edition may reward horses who travel smoothly, secure position and make their move at exactly the right time.

The winner will still earn the carnations and the prestige of a Triple Crown race, but the horse that solves Saratoga’s rhythm may be the one that gives bettors the answer.

See our early odds here.