Episode Details
Back to EpisodesPlayers' Podcast - Belmont Stakes 2026 Weekend Reaction & Recap
Description
In The Money Media's Peter Thomas Fornatale (PTF) is joined by handicapper and horseplayer Nick Tammaro to take a look back at a loaded weekend of horse racing action from the Belmont Stakes Festival meeting at Saratoga!
The pair go over some of the highlight stakes performances from the weekend and of course later discuss how the 3-year-old division is shaping since Kentucky Derby 2026 winner Golden Tempo proved his last-to-first rally was no fluke by winning Belmont Stakes 2026 over Commandment and Renegade, who was foiled as the favorite in both the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes. Trainer Cherie DeVaux again made history by winning two of the three jewels of horse racing's Triple Crown and becoming the second woman to ever train a winner in the Belmont Stakes, the first being Jena Antonucci when Arcangelo won Belmont Stakes 2023. The pair of wins in the Triple Crown by Golden Tempo again raises the discussion on whether the string of the Triple Crown as we know it is a viable series under current training standards and preferences, sparking debate that comes down to whether the history and pageantry of the Triple Crown should be set aside to create a run of races that attracts the modern thoroughbred stars and sustains the national audience that the Triple Crown tends to draw every single year.
PTF wrote more about the state of the American Triple Crown and what the sport can do about it over on At The Races: https://www.attheraces.com/belmont-stakes-racing-festival-at-saratoga/should-the-timing-of-the-us-triple-crown-be-changedDon't forget also about the biggest handicapping contest of the Monmouth Park year this Saturday, June 13 — the $2,000 Pick Your Prize Handicapping Challenge. Your $2,000 buy-in splits into a $1,000 bankroll and $1,000 to the prize pool. Prizes include NHC seats, BCBC seats, and cash. On-site or online. Pre-registration only — contact Brian Skirka at bskirka@monmouthpark.com or 732-571-6595 before Friday. Full details at https://www.monmouthpark.com/event/2000-pick-your-prize-handicapping-challenge/