Belmont Festival at Saratoga, English Derby top weekend horse racing

June 5 (UPI) -- Talk about an embarrassment of riches.

Opening weekend at Saratoga with the Belmont Stakes is fronting 15 graded races, nine of them Grade I's and three of them Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" events; The Derby and Oaks on Epsom Downs in England; and the Grade 1 Yasuda Kinen in Japan, another free entry race for the Breeders' Cup.

Sure, it's all spread out from Thursday through Sunday. But that's still a lot of handicapping, watching and cashing on high-quality racing. Here's is the bare bones schedule:

Saratoga

Saratoga on Saturday hosts the Belmont Stakes for the third and final time, which means a last chance to add the third leg of the Triple Crown to the supporting documentation for its nickname as "Graveyard of Champions". That reputation is well earned as Man o' War, Gallant Fox, Secretariat and other legendary runners have met shocking defeats at the Spa.

Granted, none of the nine entered for the Belmont will be confused with any of them. And none will go off at odds of 100-1 as did Jim Dandy when he defeated 1930 Triple Crown winner Gallant Fox in in the Travers. Still, it's Saratoga. So, take a second look before tossing any of them.

Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo is third pick on the morning line for the Belmont, behind Derby runner-up Renegade and Chief Wallabee, who reported fourth at Churchill Downs.

The theory, doubtless, is that Golden Tempo won't get the fast early tempo that proved golden for his from-the-clouds effort in the Run for the Roses. There is, in fact, no obvious early speed in the Belmont, although Powershift, who got his first win on the Kentucky Derby undercard, hasn't been shy about showing some foot.

Also with support are the likes of Louisiana Derby winner Emerging Market, 10th in the Kentucky Derby, and Florida Derby winner Commandment, seventh in Louisville. Four of the nine enter with only a single victory to their credit, but at least winless Ocelli was a late negative RSVP.

The Belmont is slated to return to a rebuilt Belmont Park, and to its traditional 1 1/2 miles, in 2027.

The meeting kicked off Wednesday with six $200,000 races, all for state-breds. Then the real fun began Thursday. There's no space for more than a skeletal rundown and a few choice notes but a closer look will find many of the best horses in the land and some who've been stars in other lands. Away we go, Trevor.

Thursday

Tawny Port stayed in loose touch with the leaders around the first two turns of the $250,000 Grade II Belmont Gold Cup, made his move in the stretch run of the 2-mile marathon and won by 2 1/2 lengths over Navy Seal.

Flavien Prat had the mount for trainer Miguel Clement, the same team that sent the son of Pioneerof the Nile out a year ago to finish seventh, eased home trailing by 81 lengths.

That race was taken off the turf and run at 1 3/4 miles on a sloppy track. This time around, and around, Tawny Port, seventh in the 2022 Kentucky Derby, finished in course-record time of 3:17.75 on firm turf.

Roja shot out of the gate in the $250,000 Grade II Intercontinental for fillies and mares, burned up the track and held on well to win in 1:00.44, with Italian Soiree second.

Roja, a 4-year-old Karakontie filly trained by Graham Motion, scored her fourth win from seven starts, first in a graded stakes.

Also, West End Kid tracked a long shot leader, advanced around the turn and won the $300,000 Grade III Penine Ridge for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on the grass by some 2 lengths -- his third straight win.

Goodall stalked and then pounced and drew off to win the $175,000 Jersey Girl for 3-year-old fillies by2 3/4 lengths over Carmel Coast.

Friday

* The $750,000 Grade I New York Stakes, for fillies and mares, 1 3/16 miles on turf (featuring '25 BC Filly & Mare Turf and French Oaks winner Gezora)

* The $500,000 Grade I Ogden Phipps for fillies and mares, 1 1/8 miles on dirt, a "Win and You're In" for the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (2025 3-year-old filly champ Nitrogen)

* The $500,000 Grade I DK Horse Acorn for 3-year-old fillies, 1 1/8 miles on dirt (Kentucky Oaks 1-2-3 Always a Runner, Meaning and Counting Stars)

* The $300,000 Grade II Bed o' Roses for fillies and mares, 7 furlongs on dirt (Ways and Means 4-for-5 at the Spa.

* The $300,000 Grade II Wonder Again for 3-year-old fillies, 1 1/16 miles on the turf.

Saturday

Watch the weather forecast -- as of Thursday night, per the National Weather Service, afternoon showers are likely with a chance of a thunderstorm. Also, see Jude Feld's provocative thoughts on a stellar card at www.popejude.com.

* The $2 million Grade I Belmont Stakes for 3-year-olds, 1 1/4 miles on dirt.

* The $1 million Grade I Hill & Dale Metropolitan Mile Handicap, the "Met Mile," a "Win and You're In" for the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (Journalism, Nysos and Knightsbridge)

* The $500,000 Grade I Jaipur, 5 1/2 furlongs on turf, a "Win and You're In" for the Prevagen Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (Reef Runner, winner of the $2 million 1351 Turf Sprint in Saudi Arabia)

* The $1 million Grade I Resorts World Casino Manhattan, 1 3/16 miles on turf (French, South African and Dubai-based runners vs best of the US)

* The $500,000 Grade I Just a Game for fillies and mares, 1 mile on turf (don't miss Mandanaba, who led late in last year's G1 French Oaks)

* The $500,000 Grade I Woody Stephens for 3-year-olds, 7 furlongs on the dirt (UAE Derby runner-up Six Speed versus Saudi Derby runner-up Obliteration)

* The $400,000 Grade III True North at 6 1/2 furlongs on the dirt (Book'em Danno vs BC Sprint winner Bentornato, This is the first rematch of the second and third finishers behind Forever Young in '24 Saudi Derby.

Sunday

The $300,000 Grade III Poker, 1 mile on the turf (Zulu Kingdom, 7-for-9 and disqualified from an eighth win)

*The $200,000 Grade III Soaring Softly for 3-year-old fillies

Around the world, around the clock

England

Saturday's Group I Betfred Derby and Friday's Group 1 Betfred Oaks at Epsom rank with Royal Ascot as the pinnacle of the British racing season.

Amelia Earhart is a solid favorite to get her third straight win in Friday's Oaks. The Camelot filly, out of the Duke of Marmalade mare Venus de Milo, made a more-than-successful 2026 debut in the Cheshire Oaks, winning by 2 lengths.

Trainer Aidan O'Brien seeks his 12th Oaks win and Ryan Moore his fifth. There are no sure things here, though, as many of the fillies have limited resumes.

O'Brien, Moore and the Coolmore lads also have Saturday's Derby favorite in Benvenutto Cellini, a Frankel colt out of the Lope De Vega mare Newspaperofrecord.

Benvennutto Cellini won the Group 3 Chester Vase in his only previous start this year after finishing third in the Group 1 Futurity Trophy to end his 2-year-old campaign. Moore already has four Derby wins.

Japan

Sunday's Grade 1 Yasuda Kinen at Tokyo Racecourse is a "Win and You're In" for the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile, with a tricky handicapping puzzle for a field.

Admire Zoom might have been the favorite, boasting a win in the Grade 1 Asahi Hai Futurity in 2024 and exiting a victory in a Grade 2 event.

But he was scratched Tuesday with a sore foot. At least a half dozen others have some recent history of success and Luxor Café, who finished 12th in the Kentucky Derby, gets his first chance on the grass.

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This story was originally published June 5, 2026 at 9:19 AM.