What is the Belmont Derby?
The Belmont Derby is a Grade I Thoroughbred race held annually at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York, as part of the July 4th Racing Festival. Contested at 1⅛ miles on the turf for 3-year-olds, it is the first leg of the Turf Trinity, a championship series for sophomore turf horses that also includes the Saratoga Derby Invitational and the Jockey Club Derby Invitational. Inaugurated in 1929 as the Jamaica Handicap, the race was renamed and repositioned as the Belmont Derby in 2014, becoming a centerpiece of NYRA's premier turf programming. Trainer Graham Motion has dominated the recent era with back-to-back wins in 2024 and 2025, while Hall of Famer Aidan O'Brien has saddled multiple winners with top Coolmore-owned colts including Bolshoi Ballet (IRE) in 2021. The speed record of 1:58.29 was set by Henley's Joy in 2019.
When is the Belmont Derby in 2026?
The 2026 Belmont Derby is scheduled for Saturday, July 4 at Saratoga Race Course as the centerpiece of the July 4th Racing Festival. Contested at 1⅛ miles on the turf with a purse of $750,000, the race draws an elite international field of 3-year-old turf horses targeting the summer and fall championship circuit.
Belmont Derby History & Notable Winners
Trainer Graham Motion has dominated the Belmont Derby in recent years, winning back-to-back editions. Test Score gave Motion and jockey Manuel Franco a 2025 victory in 1:45.56, the race contested at Saratoga at 1⅛ miles for the second consecutive year. Trikari gave Motion and Hall of Famer John Velazquez a 2024 win in 1:54.79, the race run at the traditional 1¼ miles that year at Saratoga. Far Bridge gave trainer Todd Pletcher and jockey Jose Ortiz a 2023 victory in 2:01.75 for LSU Stables. Classic Causeway gave trainer Kenneth McPeek and jockey Julien Leparoux a 2022 win in 1:59.99. Bolshoi Ballet (IRE) gave Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore a 2021 score in 2:04.42 for the powerful Coolmore ownership partnership of Smith, Magnier, Tabor, and Westerberg.
The Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes is one of the most prestigious Grade I events for 3-year-old turf horses in North America and the first leg of the Turf Trinity championship series.
