Belmont 2026: Renegade draws post 4 in field of nine, installed as 2-1 favorite
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Renegade, the Kentucky Derby runner-up, drew post 4 and was installed as the 2-1 morning-line favorite by Daily Racing Form and New York Racing Association linemaker David Aragona in a field of nine entered for Saturday’s $2 million Belmont Stakes at Saratoga.
Renegade was hampered by his rail draw in the 18-horse Kentucky Derby as he was bounced around early in the race and lost valuable position in the run to the first turn. Still, under Irad Ortiz Jr., Renegade came with a tremendous late run that fell just a neck short to Golden Tempo.
Renegade is trained by Todd Pletcher, who has won the Belmont four times and finished second a remarkable nine times. Pletcher has only started the race favorite twice in the 22 previous Belmont Stakes in which he’s participated. Mo Donegal, who also had some trouble breaking from the rail when he finished fifth in the 2022 Kentucky Derby, won the Belmont as the favorite. Forte, who was scratched out of the 2023 Kentucky Derby the morning of the race, finished second in the Belmont to Arcangelo.
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Renegade is one of two horses entered in the Belmont by Pletcher, who also sends out Powershift. That horse is coming off a maiden win five weeks ago at Churchill Downs. Powershift, like Renegade, is owned by Mike Repole, and could be the main speed in the field after breaking from post 2 under two-time Belmont winner Luis Saez.
The other horse who figures to be tactical in the race is Chief Wallabee, who finished fourth in the Kentucky Derby and who was made the 3-1 second choice in the Belmont. He will be ridden by Junior Alvarado.
Chief Wallabee drew post 3, one spot outside of Powershift. Bill Mott, the trainer of Chief Wallabee said he would love to follow Powershift.
“If he has speed, that’s great, if he goes, that’s fine,” Mott said.
Mott won the Belmont Stakes last year with Sovereignty and will try to become the first trainer to win consecutive Belmonts since D. Wayne Lukas won three straight (1994-96).
“I’d be proud to follow-up Wayne Lukas,” said Mott, who also won the Belmont in 2010 with Drosselmeyer. “He was a guy that I think was very important in the business and to try to duplicate something that he did would be very important to me.”
History was made five weeks ago in the Kentucky Derby when Cherie DeVaux became the first female trainer to win the race as Golden Tempo scored a 23-1 upset. Golden Tempo drew the outside post in the Belmont and was made the 9-2 third choice under Jose Ortiz.
Golden Tempo won the Belmont by rallying from last under Ortiz after breaking from post 16 in the 18-horse field. DeVaux said she’s quite content with the outside draw Saturday.
“Because he doesn’t get out of the gate particularly fast, the field can clear and he can just get himself a ground-saving position,” DeVaux said. “We weren’t worried about it in the Derby, kind of the same thing here, he doesn’t have anybody to impede him from the other side. He can just hopefully get a clean break and tuck in.”
Trainer Chad Brown has a trio of runners in the Belmont led by Louisiana Derby winner Emerging Market, who finished 10th in the Kentucky Derby. Brown had said Monday morning he was hoping Emerging Market would draw an inside post but was only marginally disappointed when he drew post 8. Flavien Prat rides.
“Hopefully, the field will string out and organize for not only Emerging Market but all the horses can find their path not too wide and have a nice fair race for everybody,” Brown said.
Brown also sends out Growth Equity, the Peter Pan winner, who drew post 6 and will be ridden by Manny Franco, and Ottinho, the Blue Grass runner-up, who will break from post 5 under Dylan Davis.
Commandment, the Grade 1 Florida Derby winner who finished seventh in the Kentucky Derby, drew post 7 for trainer Brad Cox, who has two-time Belmont winner John Velazquez aboard for the first time.
Vitruvian Man, who hasn’t raced since finishing third in the Santa Anita Derby on April 4, drew the rail and was installed as the longest price on the board at 30-1. Antonio Fresu rides for Doug O’Neill.
The Belmont Stakes will go as race 13 on a 14-race card that begins at 11 a.m. Post time for the Belmont is 7:04 p.m. and will be broadcast on Fox Sports.