This Saturday ends the 2026 Triple Crown races, with the running of the Belmont Stakes from Saratoga.
There are nine horses set to go in the race, which is a vast improvement in quality over the Preakness. Five horses that ran in the Kentucky Derby entered here, including Golden Tempo, the winner, as well as second place finisher Renegade.
It also means there is another FREE Belmont Stakes Pick’em Contest at the Pleasanton OTB.
There are seven stake races at Saratoga on Saturday, highlighted by the Belmont at 4:03 p.m.
The contest is free to enter but you must be present at the Pleasanton OTB to be eligible to win. The contest involves picking the winner of each of the selected races.
Points will be awarded on a 5-3-1 basis based on your pick finishing in the top three spots.
Entry forms will be available starting Wednesday, June 3 at the Pleasanton OTB!
Now, back to the Belmont.
Every so often, a race comes up where I clearly see one horse as the one to beat. That’s the case here with Commandment. Yeah, he finished seventh in the Kentucky Derby but watching that race repeatedly it really has me believing Commandment is the horse to beat in the Belmont.
Let’s run through the field in post-position order.
1) Vitruvian Man (Doug O’Neill, Antonio Fresu, 30/1) ran his first stake race in the Santa Anita Derby on April 4 at 47/1. It was also his first start of the year, and he has been off since then. He has worked consistently and well since then, but this is just too much to ask for the closer. There are others that look stronger and are far more seasoned.
2) Powershift (Todd Pletcher, Luis Saez, 12/1) ran as a maiden in the Tampa Bay Derby on March 7 and was beaten 10 in sixth. Came back two months later in straight maiden company at Churchill and came back to get the win by over two lengths. He has two good works over the Saratoga track. I think he will look to be a pace factor in the race.
3) Chief Wallabee (Bill Mott, Junior Alvarado, 3/1) was second in the Fountain of Youth, followed by running third in the Florida Derby. He navigated the field in the Kentucky Derby and managed to finish fourth, even after bumping. Has closed and has pushed the pace, both respectably. It will be interesting to see which strategy he chooses in this spot.
4) Renegade (Todd Pletcher, Irad Ortiz, 2/1) came from well back in the Kentucky Derby and just came up a neck short in finishing second. Now he’s got a smaller field with less traffic in front of him. If you like this runner that has wins in the Sam Davis and the Arkansas Derby, it will be hard to find fault with your pick. A major player.
5) Ottinho (Chad Brown, Dylan Davis, 20/1) ran second in the Blue Grass on April 4 but was beaten 11 lengths that day. He was also beaten 11 on February 6 in the Withers. He has been off since the Blue Grass but has been working well and is another that appears to like coming from off the pace.
6) Growth Equity (Chad Brown, Mann Franco, 12/1) started his career with a pair of second-place finishes against straight maidens before finally breaking through on March 20 at Aqueduct. He came back on May 9 and won the Grade III Peter Pan as the favorite. He takes a big step up here in class but it’s hard to give some respect to a horse that has two wins and two places in four starts. He likes to be forwardly placed but does not need the early lead.
7) Commandment (Brad Cox, John Velazquez, 6/1) as mentioned above, this is my pick as the winner. I loved him heading into the Derby off his wins in the Fountain of Youth and the Florida Derby. He loves to come from off the pace and was doing a good job of picking off horse races, moving up to fourth at the top of the lane. But then the Derby happened, he was caught 6 wide and he was jostled, finally finishing seventh. Now he gets into a nine-horse field, gets more distance for the race, and should be able to run the race to his liking. He will be flying when they turn for home.
8) Emerging Market (Chad Brown, Flavien Prat, 6/1) got a big dose of love heading into the Derby after winning the Louisiana Derby. Going off at 8/1 in the Derby he was running his race early before hitting a logjam and flattening, finishing 10th, seven lengths back. Has every right to run well here but I think he will be chasing Commandment in the lane.
9) Golden Tempo (Cherie DeVaux, Jose Ortiz, 9/2) the Kentucky Derby winner at 24/1. Came into the Derby running third in both the Risen Star and the Louisiana Derby, closing from the back. He came from the back in the Derby and was still 11th at the top of the lane. Got a path on the outside and charged home, getting up by a neck. He may have a great trip here but so will others that didn’t in the Derby. He has been sharp in the mornings, but I am going elsewhere in this race.