The final Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course is officially in the books, and the third leg of the Triple Crown will return to its regular home at Belmont Park next year. As always, I am sharing my photos from the festival in a series of blog posts. Once again, I had the privilege of shooting for The Saratoga Special. Click here to view all editions online. Last up in my series is the rest, featuring photos of anything that didn’t make it into my previous posts. Click here to view all the posts in this series.
The post positions for the Belmont Stakes are displayed on the projector at the post position draw at Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga.
Analyst Acacia Clément (right) interviews trainer Cherie DeVaux after her horse, Golden Tempo, eventual winner of the Belmont Stakes, draws post 9 at the post position draw.
G. Willikers’ storefront window is decked out for the Belmont.
Lifestyles of Saratoga has delivered a standout window display all three years that the Belmont has been at Saratoga. This year, the store focused on icons (human and equine) of Saratoga and Belmont Park.
Outrider Page Spangler keeps an eye on things from her pony.
The Belmont Stakes flag, adorned with the 2026 logo, flies high in the sky.
Fans get a chance at a free t-shirt as they are launched out into the stands.
Fans get a chance to pet a pony.
Fitz Right, with Flavien Prat onboard, returns after winning the Grade II Wonder Again Stakes.
Maggie Wolfendale heads out on her pony to give an interview.
Always a Runner, with José Ortiz onboard, returns after suffering her first career defeat in the Grade I Acorn Stakes.
Counting Stars exits the winner’s circle after winning the Acorn.
Counting Stars gets a bath before heading to the test barn.
Cankoura, who shipped in from France to contest the Grade I New York Stakes, returns with Clément Lecoeuvre onboard after finishing second.
Flavien Prat returns on Portfolio Duration after winning the New York.
José Ortiz returns on Nitrogen after winning the Grade I Ogden Phipps Stakes.
A West Point parachutist soars in the sky.
Buttah exits the winner’s circle after winning an allowance race.
Classic Q heads to the test barn after winning the Grade I Just a Game Stakes.
2025 Grade I Jaipur Stakes winner Ag Bullet returns, with John Velázquez onboard, after being denied a title defense by Reef Runner.
Assistant trainer Enrique Miranda gives Englishman a bath after winning the Grade I Woody Stephens Stakes.
Beaten favorite Journalism returns, with José Ortiz onboard, after finishing third in the Grade I Met Mile.
Antiquarian returns, with John Velázquez onboard, after finishing fourth in the Met Mile.
Nysos heads to the test barn after winning the Met Mile.
Gavin Lerena, who flew in from South Africa to ride in the Grade I Manhattan Stakes, returns after finish third onboard One Stripe.
Deterministic returns, with Kendrick Carmouche onboard, after winning the Manhattan for the second year in a row.
Stormy skies materialize before the Belmont Stakes.
Chief Wallabee returns, with Junior Alvarado onboard, after finishing fourth in the Belmont Stakes.
Groom José Hernández takes Golden Tempo to the test barn after winning the Belmont Stakes.
A rainbow forms in the sky as Golden Tempo and his team head to the test barn.
To see more of my equine photography be sure to follow me on X, Instagram and Facebook. All photos in this post © Samantha Decker and may not be reused without permission.
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