admin
Golden Tempo did the thing everyone loves to watch: he came from way back, charged down the stretch and won the Belmont Stakes in a finish that looked better on replay than three-quarters of today’s sports commentary. The bay colt rallied from about 12 lengths off the lead to take the 158th running at Saratoga, giving Trainer Cherie DeVaux another marquee win after the Kentucky Derby. It was a result that answered doubters and raised a bigger question about how modern trainers are plotting the Triple Crown path.
A finish that stunned the tote board
Ridden by Jockey José Ortiz, Golden Tempo exploded down the outside to beat Commandment by about 1 1/4 lengths and finish the mile-and-a-quarter in 2:03.49. He went off roughly 6-1 and paid $14.00 to win on a $2 bet, with place and show payoffs of $7.32 and $3.88. Commandment ran a brave second and favorite Renegade was third. The owners — Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable — watched a big payoff on the track and an even bigger moment in the record book.
History for Cherie DeVaux, praise for the horse and rider
Trainer Cherie DeVaux didn’t shy away from the moment. After the race she said Golden Tempo and Jose Ortiz are “amazing” and that the Belmont showed the colt belongs among the top 3‑year‑olds. Ortiz kept it simple: he followed the pace, waited for the right time, and when he asked the horse to go “my horse responded.” It’s a tidy sports script — a smart rider, a horse with a late gear, and a trainer getting her just rewards — and yes, she’s now the first woman to win multiple Triple Crown races. Cue the headlines and the tearful soundbites; some things are worth celebrating without making them a political production.
The Preakness question and what it means for tradition
Here’s the plot twist the sport needs to talk about: Golden Tempo skipped the Preakness, a plan that worked. That’s now two years running that a Derby winner chose the rest-and-payoff route and then took the Belmont. Owners and trainers are being smart with the horse’s career, but this trend chips away at the old Triple Crown arc. Tradition matters — it breeds storylines fans buy into — but so does common sense. If the Preakness date and spacing keep pushing trainers toward skipping it, racing officials should either rethink the schedule or stop pretending the Triple Crown is the same prize it once was.
For now the team says Golden Tempo will head home to train and aim at Saratoga summer targets like the Jim Dandy and the Travers. If you like to follow the division, those races will tell us whether this was a two-race fluke or the dawning of a serious champion. Whatever happens next, give credit where it’s due: a smart plan, a gutsy ride and a trainer who kept her head. And if the racing world keeps trimming tradition for tactics, at least make sure the next big finish looks as good as this one did on the replay.
