Meet the 2026 Belmont Stakes Jockeys

The jockeys assembled to ride in this year's Belmont Stakes (G1) June 6 at Saratoga Race Course include many of the leading riders from throughout North America. Eight of the nine jockeys assigned mounts in the June 6 Belmont Stakes annually spend their summers competing for the Saratoga riding title. Let's meet them. Junior Alvarado Age: 40 Originally from: Venezuela Previous rides in the Belmont Stakes: 4 Best finish: 1st in 2025 (Sovereignty) 2026 Belmont horse: Chief Wallabee Alvarado earned his first Belmont Stakes victory a year ago by piloting eventual Horse of the Year Sovereigntyto a 3-length score for trainer Bill Mott. Sovereignty had previously won the Kentucky Derby (G1) and skipped the Preakness Stakes (G1). Now, Mott and Alvarado hope the same schedule helps Chief Wallabee, who was a late-running fourth in the Kentucky Derby, achieve a breakthrough win in the Belmont. Dylan Davis Age: 31 Originally from: Manhasset, N.Y. Previous rides in the Belmont Stakes: 1 Best finish: 8th in 2022 (Golden Glider) 2026 Belmont horse: Ottinho Over the past five years, Davis has become one of the top jockeys in the very competitive New York colony. He's from a family deeply immersed in horse racing, as his father, Robbie, was a jockey, as are his sisters Katie and Jacqueline. Dylan Davis just returned from an extended period of recovery because of a November 2025 injury and will ride longshot Ottinho in the Belmont. The colt enters off of a runner-up finish in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes. Manny Franco Age: 31 Originally from: Puerto Rico Previous rides in the Belmont Stakes: 5 Best finish: 1st in 2020 (Tiz the Law) 2026 Belmont horse: Growth Equity While he occasionally travels to other tracks for big races, Franco has thrived by basing his business year-round in New York. He's been the leading rider in the Empire State for four years, including in 2025. Franco earned his Belmont win in 2020 aboard Tiz the Law when the race was shortened to 1 1/8 miles and held as the first leg of an adjusted Triple Crown series because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He'll take the reins on intriguing longshot Growth Equity in this year's race. Franco has been aboard the colt in two of his four career starts, but not in his recent prep: a win in the Peter Pan Stakes (G3). Antonio Fresu Age: 34 Originally from: Italy Previous rides in the Belmont Stakes: 0 Best finish: n/a 2026 Belmont horse: Vitruvian Man Antonio Fresu is the intruder in a New York-centric group of Belmont jockeys, but he brings plenty of big-race experience to the challenge. A fourth-generation rider in his family, he began his career in his native Italy and also has had mounts in Dubai, where he rode for U.S. trainer Doug O'Neill. Taking O'Neill's advice, Fresu decided to try riding in California, and since 2023 he's become one of the leading jockeys at Santa Anita Park and Del Mar. He was aboard Vitruvian Man for O'Neill in the Santa Anita Derby (G1), finishing third, and will now ride the longshot in the 158th Belmont Stakes. Irad Ortiz Jr. Age: 33 Originally from: Puerto Rico Previous rides in the Belmont Stakes: 12 Best finish: 1st in 2015 (Creator) and 2022 (Mo Donegal) 2026 Belmont horse: Renegade Boasting five Eclipse Awards as outstanding jockey, more than 4,500 wins, and career earnings exceeding $395 million, Irad Ortiz Jr. has assembled a Hall of Fame résumé at age 33. Much of his success has come at Saratoga, where Ortiz has won the last four summer riding titles and six overall. He nearly picked up his first career Kentucky Derby win aboard Renegade, losing by a neck to Golden Tempo with his brother Jose in the saddle. Renegade will give Irad Ortiz a good chance to pick up his third career Belmont Stakes win and second partnering with trainer Todd Pletcher after Mo Donegal's score in 2022. Jose Ortiz Age: 32 Originally from: Puerto Rico Previous rides in the Belmont Stakes: 9 Best finish: 1st in 2017 (Tapwrit) 2026 Belmont horse: Golden Tempo Like his older brother Irad, Jose Ortiz is on the path toward Hall of Fame induction, and is currently enjoying one of the best streaks of his career. Five weeks ago, he won his first Kentucky Derby aboard Golden Tempo, a day after winning his second Kentucky Oaks (G1) on Always a Runner. Both Golden Tempo and Always a Runner are set to race again this week at Saratoga, the latter in the Acorn Stakes (G1) June 5. Ortiz has been aboard Golden Tempo for all five of his career starts and should have the colt well-positioned for another off-the-pace rally in the Belmont. Flavien Prat Age: 33 Originally from: France Previous rides in the Belmont Stakes: 5 Best finish: 2nd in 2021 (Hot Rod Charlie) 2026 Belmont horse: Emerging Market He's still seeking a first Belmont Stakes win, but Prat has done well in all five of his prior starts in the race, finishing second once, third twice, and fourth twice. The native of France is one of the top three or four big-race jockeys in the business and set a record for most graded stakes wins in a year for North American jockeys in 2024 with 56. He rode Emerging Market in the Kentucky Derby, and the colt finished a disappointing 10th. That was only his third career start, however, and he's capable of a bounce-back effort in the Belmont with Prat remaining in the saddle. Luis Saez Age: 34 Originally from: Panama Previous rides in the Belmont Stakes: 8 Best finish: 1st in 2021 (Essential Quality) and 2024 (Dornoch) 2026 Belmont horse: Powershift Through the years, Saez has enjoyed success at tracks all around the eastern U.S., with most of his recent New York accomplishments coming at Saratoga, where he was the leading rider in 2021. He's won the Belmont Stakes twice, first at Belmont Park with Essential Quality, and then two years ago at Saratoga aboard longshot Dornoch. Saez will ride another longshot in this year's Belmont as he takes the reins on Powershift for the first time. The colt won a maiden race on the Kentucky Derby undercard five weeks ago at Churchill Downs. John Velazquez Age: 54 Originally from: Puerto Rico Previous rides in the Belmont Stakes: 28 Best finish: 1st in 2007 (Rags to Riches)and 2012 (Union Rags) 2026 Belmont horse: Commandment Over a Hall of Fame career spanning 36 years, Velazquez has enjoyed success in the Belmont Stakes (two wins) and also at Saratoga (five summer meet riding titles). He does not accept as many mount assignments as he did during the 2000s and 2010s, but is still regarded as one of the best big-race jockeys in the business. In an intriguing pairing, Velazquez will ride Commandment for the first time in Belmont 158. The colt won two graded stakes earlier this year, including the Florida Derby (G1), and comes into the Belmont off a not-bad sixth in the Kentucky Derby.