SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (AP) 鈥� Golden Tempo showed exactly why he is a great closer, and his stretch run at the Belmont Stakes on Saturday delivered more history for trainer Cherie DeVaux.
Ridden by jockey Jose Ortiz from 12 lengths off the lead, Golden Tempo surged from the back of the pack to win the . The victory came five weeks after his last-to-first charge to .
鈥淕olden Tempo is amazing. Jose is amazing,鈥� said DeVaux. 鈥淚 think he needed to do this to kind of show that he was meant to win the Derby and that he is a horse that belongs in that conversation of being one of the top 3-year-olds.鈥�
Golden Tempo held off Commandment to win by a length and a quarter at odds of 6-1. Commandment was second and favorite Renegade placed third.
鈥淚 followed them closely in the second turn,鈥� Ortiz said. 鈥淭hey started to pick it up, so I did as well. I was just waiting for the right time to go all in. When I asked him to go, my horse responded.鈥�
DeVaux, after to train a Kentucky Derby winner, is the second in four years to do so at the Belmont. Arcangelo in 2023. DeVaux is the first woman to win multiple Triple Crown races.
鈥淚t鈥檚 overwhelming,鈥� DeVaux said. 鈥淎ll the credit goes to Golden Tempo, who won the race, and Jose did a wonderful job of making it happen. But I鈥檓 just so fortunate to be in this position. It鈥檚 history-making, and I鈥檝e kind of shied away from it, but I鈥檓 really grateful that I am that person.鈥�
DeVaux was her training career there, but she doesn鈥檛 call herself a Saratoga native. She spends most of her time in Kentucky now and said she grew up in southern Florida. But after all the support she鈥檚 received from the town, she has started to embrace it.
鈥淓veryone is kind of calling me the hometown girl,鈥� DeVaux said. 鈥淪o that鈥檚 kind of fun. I鈥檓 going to miss our appetizer (at) Saratoga, as we call it, the 鈥楤ellatoga.鈥欌��
Golden Tempo was the third choice in the race. There were concerns about whether he could pull off another big comeback win in a field that included Renegade. The Todd Pletcher-trained horse finished second to Golden Tempo by a neck in the Derby.
The pace was not nearly as fast as it was at Churchill Downs, yet Golden Tempo still was able to close in time to win the 1 1/4-mile race in 2:03.49. It didn鈥檛 matter, as he was the best in the field of nine horses.
鈥淗e wasn鈥檛 going to get that setup as he did in the Derby,鈥� Ortiz said. 鈥淲e all knew that, and I was a little worried about it. He needed some kind of setup. But today, there wasn鈥檛 one and he showed up today and won.鈥�
Golden Tempo won two-thirds of the Triple Crown after DeVaux and owners . He is the second horse in as many years to win the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont after not running in the middle jewel.
鈥淲e made our decision, and we won today and we鈥檙e going to be happy about that,鈥� DeVaux said.
This was the third and final time for the Belmont in upstate New York, while its traditional home on the border of Queens and Long Island is getting . Run at 1 1/4 miles because of the track at Saratoga, the race is set to next year when it will return to its traditional 1 1/2-mile distance.
鈥淚t鈥檚 so meaningful,鈥� DeVaux said. 鈥滱 lot of family here. Saratoga, it鈥檚 been wonderful to have such a historic race here. … It鈥檚 so meaningful because the town gets to have this and celebrate it along with us.鈥�
Golden Tempo paid $14 to win, $7.32 to place and $3.88 to show. Commandment paid $7.02 to show and $4.08 to place, while Renegade paid $2.52 to place.
Ortiz followed Renegade, ridden by older brother Irad, just as he did in the Derby. It worked out just the same in the first Saturday in June as the first Saturday in May.
鈥淗e was bouncing a bit today, which made me very happy because I wanted him to be a little bit sharper today,鈥� Jose Ortiz said. 鈥淵ou can see him, he鈥檚 very relaxed. He does what I ask him to do. That鈥檚 the main thing.鈥�
Co-owner Vinnie Viola dedicated the race to his late friend Dominic DiPrisco, who died Wednesday at age 70. Viola prayed to DiPrisco Saturday morning, hoping for an extra push in the Belmont Stakes.
鈥淚 know you鈥檙e in heaven, and I love you, and this race is for you,鈥� Viola said. 鈥淚t means more than I can express in words right now.鈥�
Ortiz won the Belmont Stakes for the second time, nine years after his first aboard Tapwrit in 2017.
鈥淲e just wanted him to get better and keep winning these kinds of races,鈥� Ortiz said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e very happy with him. It鈥檚 all about him.鈥�
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AP Sports Writer Stephen Whyno in New York contributed.
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