The 158th Belmont Stakes: A Historic Victory for Golden Tempo and Cherie DeVaux

Golden Tempo, with jockey Jose Ortiz, won the 158th Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course, becoming the third leg of the Triple Crown after the Kentucky Derby. Trainer Cherie DeVaux makes history as the second woman to win the Belmont.

With a time of 2:03.49, Golden Tempo captured the 1 1/4-mile race, holding off a late surge from Commandment just before the finish line. This victory marked the third leg of the Triple Crown for Golden Tempo, who had previously won the Kentucky Derby five weeks earlier at Churchill Downs.

A New Era for Women in Racing

Trainer Cherie DeVaux becomes the first woman to train a Kentucky Derby winner and now joins Jena Antonucci as the second woman in four years to win the Belmont Stakes.. Antonucci achieved the feat with Archangelo in 2023.

The win also added another historic chapter for trainer Cherie DeVaux, who has been training horses for over a decade.. deVaux credited the entire team for Golden Tempo's success, praising the colt's heart and determination,noting that the extended rest between the Derby and the Belmont had paid dividneds.

The Road to the Travers Stakes

The colt will now get a well-deserved break before being pointed towards a summer campaign, possibly including the Travers Stakes at Saratoga later in the season. For now, though, the focus is on the celebration of a remarkable achievement—winning the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes in the same year, a feat that has become increasingly rare in modern racing.

A Legacy that Will Be Remembered

With Golden Tempo's victory, the horse racing world has a new star, and trainer Cherie DeVaux has a place in the history books that will be remembered for generations. The 158th Belmont Stakes will go down as a landmark event, both for the sport and for the ongoing legacy of women in thoroughbred racing.