The Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo heads into Saturday’s Belmont Stakes at Saratoga as the third choice in the betting, despite his breakthrough win at Churchill Downs last month.

Trained by Cherie DeVaux, Golden Tempo became a history-maker when she became the first woman to train a Kentucky Derby winner. The colt delivered a late surge to win the Derby at 23-1 but will now attempt to repeat the performance in a different tactical setup, breaking from the outside gate in a nine-horse field.

DeVaux opted to skip the Preakness Stakes and instead target the Belmont Stakes, prioritising a fresher approach into the final leg of the Triple Crown trail.

“His running style does leave him vulnerable,” she said. “He’ll come with a run, but there’s a lot that has to go right for him — and, in the Derby, everything went right for him.”

Derby runner-up Renegade is the 2-1 morning-line favourite. Trained by Todd Pletcher, the colt also bypassed the Preakness and will break from post four. 

Chief Wallabee sits on the second line of betting at 3-1 after finishing fourth in the Derby. 

Chad Brown fields a strong hand with three runners, while Doug O’Neill and Brad Cox complete the field.

The 158th Belmont Stakes is scheduled for Saturday at 7:04 p.m.

Image Belmont Stakes