So far, the rain is holding off just a few hours before the $2 million Belmont Stakes (G1), and the weather report is encouraging for the rest of Saturday. There’s now only a slight chance of showers right around post time (7:04 p.m. ET).
In the first four graded stakes on the Belmont Stakes undercard, Classic Q won the $500,000 Just a Game Stakes (G1), Book’em Danno won the $400,000 True North Stakes (G3), Reef Runner captured the $500,000 Jaipur Stakes (G1) and earned an automatic berth to the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1) at Keeneland in October, and Englishman took the $500,000 Woody Stephens Stakes (G1) for trainer Cherie DeVaux and jockey Jose Ortiz.
In a short time, Ortiz will climb aboard DeVaux-trained Derby winner Golden Tempo and go for a win in the Belmont Stakes.
The $1 million Metropolitan Handicap (G1) and $1 million Manhattan Stakes were the next two races up before the 1 ¼-mile Belmont, the final leg of the Triple Crown.
Late Belmont Stakes Odds:
| 2026 Belmont Stakes Odds | ||
| Official post positions set following the post-position draw on Monday, June 1, 2026. | ||
| PP | Horse / Trainer | Morning Line |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vitruvian ManAntonio Fresu · D. O'Neill | 30/1 |
| 2 | PowershiftLuis Saez · T. Pletcher | 12/1 |
| 3 | Chief WallabeeJunior Alvarado · W. Mott | 3/1 |
| 4 | RenegadeIrad Ortiz Jr. · T. Pletcher | 2/1 |
| 5 | OttinhoDylan Davis · C. Brown | 20/1 |
| 6 | Growth EquityManny Franco · C. Brown | 12/1 |
| 7 | CommandmentJohn Velazquez · B. Cox | 6/1 |
| 8 | Emerging MarketFlavien Prat · C. Brown | 6/1 |
| 9 | Golden TempoJose Ortiz · C. DeVaux | 9/2 |
Last Updated on 06/01/2026
It’s the third and final time the Belmont will be run at Saratoga, with a rebuilt Belmont Park set to open in September and return as host of the 2027 Belmont Stakes.
Late afternoon odds have Kentucky Derby (G2) runner-up Renegade the 9-5 favorite, with four other Derby runners, including winner Golden Tempo, all at 5-1. The others at 5-1 are Chief Wallabee, Commandment and Emerging Market. Powershift is 12-1, Growth Equity is 12-1, Ottinho 19-1 and Vitruvian Man at 20-1
Englishman, runner-up to Crude Velocity in the Pat Day Mile (G2) on Derby Day, turned the tables by winning the $500,000 Woody Stephens Stakes (G1) in a runaway.
Crude Velocity, the favorite trained by Bob Baffert, who was 3-for-3, knew this 7-furlong sprint would be a tough one.
“I have a lot of respect for Englishman,” Baffert said. “To run him down, that was pretty impressive (in the Pat Day). It should be a great race.”
Reef Runner ($12.48) edged defending Jaipur Stakes (G1) winner Ag Bullet by a half-length and John the Beer Man in the 5 ½-furlong sprint to earn an automatic berth into the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1) at Keeneland in October. He finished fourth in the race a year ago.
Trained by David Fawkes, the 5-year-old gelding ran his two previous races in Saudi Arabia and Dubai, and his return home worked out well as he was given a perfect ride by Irad Ortiz, Jr.
Book’em Danno has done it again at Saratoga – the popular 5-year-old champion sprinter cruised past the leaders in deep stretch and won the $400,000 True North Stakes (G3).
Trained by Derek Ryan and ridden by Paco Lopez, Book’em Danno raced just behind Bentornato and Listenupshance before taking charge to win by three-quarters of a length.
The New Jersey-bred went 3-for-3 at the Spa last summer, taking the True North, Alfred G. Vanderbilt Stakes (G1), and the Forego Stakes (G1). In his 2026 debut, he finished second by a neck in the Carter (G2) at Aqueduct on April 4. Book’em Danno improved to 18-11-4-1 with earnings over $2 million.
Classic Q ($14.44) went gate-to-wire, holding off France-based Mandanaba and favorite Segesta in the stretch for her first Grade 1 victory. The 4-year-old gray filly is trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, who on Friday won a pair of Grade 1 races at the Spa, the $500,000 Acorn Stakes with Counting Stars ($11.44) and the $500,000 Ogden Phipps Stakes with Nitrogen ($4), who blew away the field by 12 ¾ lengths.
Classic Q, ridden by Hall of Famer John Velazquez, covered the 1-mile turf race in 1:32.84. Her record improved 15-5-3-1 and earnings topping more than $1.3 million.
Richard Rosenblatt is an award-winning journalist and former Associated Press Horse Racing Editor. Currently, he serves as the news editor at US Racing, overseeing exclusive content from contributors worldwide.
