Meet the Contenders: 2026 Belmont Stakes
Golden Tempo (left) and Renegade (center) fought out the finish of the Kentucky Derby (G1) (Photo by Horsephotos.com)
Meet the horses running in the 2026 Belmont (G1) at Saratoga. For each horse, we're listing a pro, a con, and a potential rating. The star rating of 1 to 5 represents the opportunity to perform well. Be sure to follow these contenders by adding them to your Stable Alerts.
Vitruvian Man wins at Keeneland. (Photo by Coady Media)
#1 Vitruvian Man *
Trainer: Doug O’Neill
Pro: Distant third in the Santa Anita Derby (G1), but the form of that race took a hit five weeks ago.
Con: Bred to excel at distance, but class concerns are likely insurmountable.
Powershift wins at Churchill Downs. (Photo by Coady Media)
#2 Powershift **
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Pro: One of the few here with early foot, so might last a while if he can slow it down.
Con: Maiden winner not without potential, but this is a big step up in class.
Chief Wallabee wins at Gulfstream Park. (Photo by Coglianese Photos)
#3 Chief Wallabee ****
Trainer: Bill Mott
Pro: Given relative inexperience, ran quite well to finish fourth in the Kentucky Derby (G1).
Con: Has fallen short three times at this level; perhaps a slight cut below?
Renegade wins the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park. (Photo by Coady Media)
#4 Renegade *****
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Pro: Arguably the best in the Kentucky Derby after a horrendous trip in the opening furlong.
Con: A strong pace would obviously help, but little speed is entered here.
Beaten a neck by Golden Tempo in the Kentucky Derby (G1), Renegade is favored to gain revenge in Saturday's $2 million Belmont (G1) at Saratoga. 🏆
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) June 2, 2026
Read More ⬇️https://t.co/FJqvOiZdYu
Ottinho (inside) breaking his maiden at Aqueduct (Photo by Coglianese Photos)
#5 Ottinho **
Trainer: Chad Brown
Pro: The freshest entrant after running a distant second in the Blue Grass (G1) nine weeks ago.
Con: From a class perspective, this is his toughest challenge yet.
Growth Equity wins the Peter Pan at Belmont at the Big A. (Photo by Coglianese Photo)
#6 Growth Equity **
Trainer: Chad Brown
Pro: Peter Pan (G3) winner has the early foot that most of these seem to lack.
Con: Hasn’t faced a field this good, and stamina will be tested.
Commandment (inside) wins the Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park. (Photo by Coglianese Photos)
#7 Commandment ****
Trainer: Brad Cox
Pro: Flattened out after the middle move in the Derby; likely better than that.
Con: Like several of these, lack of pace might blunt effectiveness.
Emerging Market wins the Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds. (Photo by Hodges Photography)
#8 Emerging Market ***
Trainer: Chad Brown
Pro: Tenth after racing prominently and losing a shoe in the Derby; remains with upside.
Con: A veteran of only three races, so inexperience is still a concern.
Golden Tempo (left) and Renegade (center) fought out the finish of the Kentucky Derby (G1) (Photo by Horsephotos.com)
#9 Golden Tempo ***
Trainer: Cherie DeVaux
Pro: Got the trip-and-pace meltdown he needed to upset the Churchill classic.
Con: Hard to envision a similar scenario here, and obviously will be a shorter price.
