A strong group of some of racing’s top performers has made their way to Saratoga Race Course’s Oklahoma training track in advance of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival slated for June 3-7 at the iconic upstate New York racetrack.
Highlighted by the 158th edition of the Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets on Saturday, June 6, the 2026 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will include 10 Grade 1 races among 18 graded stakes across five days of world-class competition. For more information and to buy tickets, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont-stakes/.
Leading the group is Grade 1 Arkansas Derby-winner and recent Grade 1 Kentucky Derby runner-up Renegade, who arrived in Saratoga on Wednesday for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. The son of Into Mischief returned to the track on Thursday, and again on Friday morning for some light exercise in his first on-track appearances since finishing a neck second to Golden Tempo in the “Run for the Roses” last Saturday at Churchill Downs.
Renegade is in Saratoga to prepare for an intended start in the 10-furlong Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets on June 6.
“He got back to the track yesterday and seems to be in good form,” Pletcher said. “He seemed to bounce out of it [the Derby] well and shipped nicely. He’s probably enjoying the cooler weather. He’ll have a couple breezes between now and the Belmont, and I haven’t really firmed up anything. We’ll monitor him this week and see how he does.”
Campaigned by Robert Low, Lawana Low and Repole Stable, Renegade was an emphatic four-length winner of the Arkansas Derby on March 28 at Oaklawn Park, an effort that earned him morning-line favoritism in the Kentucky Derby.
Renegade emerged from the inside post in the field of 18 as the second choice and endured a troubled start when bumped by squeezing rivals and pushed down further to the rail under Irad Ortiz, Jr. He tracked in 15th position at the three-quarters call and steadily made up ground while weaving through rivals and swinging wide into the lane and enduring more bumping. He took dead aim at the embattled pair of Danon Bourbon and Ocelli and reeled in those foes in the final sixteenth, but Golden Tempo was right on his flank after his bid from last and got his neck down over Renegade in the shadow of the wire.
Pletcher said he was proud of Renegade’s effort after the trouble he endured.
“He was super game, and it was just unfortunate he got bounced around a bit,” Pletcher said. “He still finished great.”
Renegade would likely face a rematch with the Cherie DeVaux-trained Golden Tempo in the Belmont, and potentially Kentucky Derby fourth-place finisher Chief Wallabee, who is also in Saratoga for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.
“We always love the Belmont, and we’re excited for him, and just hoping everything goes smoothly,” said Pletcher, who has won the Belmont Stakes four times with the filly Rags to Riches [2007], Palace Malice [2013], Tapwrit [2017] and Mo Donegal [2022].
In the older male division, Pletcher has Centennial Farms’ Grade 1-winner Antiquarian to look forward to in top events later this summer following a dominant 5 3/4-length victory in the Grade 3 Westchester on Sunday at Belmont at the Big A.
A 5-year-old son of the Centennial Farms-campaigned Preservationist, Antiquarian made his seasonal bow off a six-month respite in the one-turn mile Westchester. He stalked the pace in third-of-4 under Hall of Famer John Velazquez and pounced to the lead with ease, drawing off in the lane to score comfortably in a final time of 1:35.42. He earned a 101 Beyer Speed Figure in victory.
“I’m very happy with his comeback,” said Pletcher, who added the chestnut is in good order after the effort. “It puts him in position for a lot of options.”
Pletcher said those options include the 10-furlong Grade 2, $500,000 Suburban presented by Subourbon Life on July 4 at the Spa – a race he finished second in by a head last year – or the Grade 1, $1 million Hill ‘N’ Dale Metropolitan Handicap, run from Saratoga’s Wilson Chute, on June 6 Belmont Stakes Day. The Grade 1 Stephen Foster on June 27 at Churchill Downs is also among the options for Antiquarian, who is stabled at Belmont Park.
“We’ll just play it by ear,” Pletcher concluded.
Also under consideration for the Met Mile and Stephen Foster is Disruptor, who finished second to the Japan-based T O Elvis in the Grade 1 Churchill Downs on the Derby undercard. The 4-year-old Gun Runner chestnut earned a 101 Beyer for the rallying 3 1/4-length second.
Aside from Belmont Stakes hopefuls, Saratoga is currently hosting a number of other popular horses, including this year’s Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks-winner Always a Runner for five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown. The daughter of Gun Runner arrived in Saratoga on Tuesday and has since visited the training track for light exercise.
Brown’s lofty Saratoga contingent is led by a number of Grade 1-winners, including Zulu Kingdom, Segesta, Salamis, and Spirit of St Louis, the latter of which worked a solo half-mile in 50.08 seconds on Friday in his first move since finishing second in a state-bred optional claimer on April 24 at Aqueduct Racetrack.
This story was originally published by Paulick Report on May 8, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Paulick Report as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
