Belmont Stakes 2026 Early Predictions for Golden Tempo, Top Contenders

While there wasn't a massive upset at Saturday's Preakness Stakes, Napoleon Solo's victory did come as a mild surprise. The horse had finished fifth in his last two races, while trainer Chad Summers had trained just one other Grade 1 winner in his career—and had certainly not delivered a win as big as the Preakness.

Local favorite Taj Mahal led for much of the race, but he lost steam late, allowing much of the pack to move past him in the final stretch. Jockey Paco Lopez did a masterful job of pushing Napoleon Solo at exactly the right time to get the victory.

With both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness in the rear view, the racing world turns its attention to June 6's Belmont Stakes. While we won't know the full field for some time, there's a good chance that Derby winner Golden Tempo makes a return in New York.

Napoleon Solo, however, might not.

Here's a look at what we know about the 2026 Belmont Stakes, along with some early predictions.

2026 Belmont Stakes

Al Bello/Getty Images

Sovereignty with Junior Alvarado up, wins the 157th running of the Belmont Stakes

When: Saturday, June 6

Where: Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, NY

Distance: 1¼ miles

Prize Pool: $2 million ($1.2 million to winner)

TV and Live Stream: Fox and Fox One

Post Draw: Monday, June 1

Preview and Predictions

Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Golden Tempo #19, ridden by jockey Jose Ortiz, heads to the first turn the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby

With the Belmont still nearly three weeks away, we can only guess who the top contenders will be at this point. However, it certainly feels likely that Golden Tempo will make his return after trainer Cherie DeVaux held him out of the Preakness.

DeVaux said the following, per Teresa Genaro of The Athletic:

"This is my first Derby horse, and the conversation shifted to, do we want to focus on the Triple Crown series, or do we want to focus on the horse's career for the entire year? That is why we decided to skip the Preakness and instead go to the Belmont, knowing that if you do compete in three legs of the Triple Crown, it will make the horse tired for the rest of the foreseeable future."

We don't know yet if Napoleon Solo will run in the Belmont, but there's a chance that Summers also chooses to sit his horse while focusing on the future. No official announcement has been made, but according to David Grening of Daily Racing Form, Napoleon Solo is unlikely to run at the Belmont:

Napoleon Solo is mentioned on the New York Racing Association's list of "potential contenders."

Golden Tempo

Napoleon Solo

Renegade

Commandment

Further Ado

Potente

Chief Wallabee

Emerging Market

Albus

Iron Honor

Ocelli

Incredibolt

Horses who fared well in the Kentucky Derby may be better suited for this year's Belmont than Napoleon Solo, Iron Honor, and other top finishers at the Preakness. This is because it will be a longer race that features stamina, not just pure speed.

We're only talking about a ¹⁄₁₆ mile difference, but let's not forget that it's roughly the distance Golden Tempo used to surge past Renegade and Ocelli at the Derby.

And this year's Belmont will be the same 1¼ mile distance as the Derby. For the third straight year, the race will be held at Saratoga Race Course while Belmont Park's ongoing renovations continue.

The Belmont is typically a 1½ mile race.

Don't be surprised if the top of the Belmont field looks a lot like the Derby field, assuming the top contenders all return—and we'll have to wait until the post draw on June 1 to know that.

The prediction here, though, is that Golden Tempo does make a return and manages to sneak past Renegade for the second time in the three-race Triple Crown series.

Prediction

1. Golden Tempo

2. Renegade

3. Emerging Market