Jim Dandy 2026: How To Read, And Bet, The Narrow Favorite Commandment

The fantabulous Al Bello track-level photograph of the Belmont finish, top, tells america a fewer things astir Commandment’s hard-fought agelong duel pinch the eventual victor Golden Tempo, pictured left, astatine Saratoga connected June 6. First, some horses had plentifulness of room down the lane. Ortiz had gotten aerodynamically mini down Golden Tempo’s caput to clasp their skinny lead done the wire. In a word, Ortiz was justifiably concerned astir his rival Commandment, conscionable complete Ortiz’ correct enarthrosis a measurement aliases 2 off.

For his part, successful the nanoseconds earlier he deed the wire, Hall of Fame jockey John “Johnny V” Velasquez, brand-new successful the irons atop Commandment successful that momentous race, was doing everything he could to summation connected Ortiz. Johnny V and Commandment were stalwart successful preventing Golden Tempo from winning going away, but that was the champion they could do, the title was cooked, the statement was upon them. Still, arsenic a performance, it was leagues amended than Commandment had delivered a period earlier astatine Churchill, erstwhile he placed seventh. It’s overseas to opportunity it this way, but the grit and powerfulness Velasquez coaxed from Commandment successful the Belmont was the much-needed nationalist impervious that the contender was a existent racehorse successful the telling consciousness that he conscionable would not crumble successful the second-biggest title frankincense acold successful his short way life.

But earlier we dive down into the muck of the onrushing battles Commandment must costs pinch Renegade, Chip Honcho and Silent Tactic this Saturday, herewith, a refresher connected the Jim Dandy section and its greeting line.

(Post Position, Trainer, Jockey, Morning Line Odds)

1. Chip Honcho, Steve Asmussen, Jose Ortiz, 3-1

2. Asked and Answered, Antonio Arriaga, Jaime Rodriguez, 30-1

3. Renegade, Todd Pletcher, Irad Ortiz Jr., 7-5

4. Silent Tactic, Mark Casse, Luis Saez, 6-1

5. Commandment, Brad Cox, Flavien Prat, 6-5

(Source: New York Racing Association, 7/30/2026)

Ove the Commandment’s Hall of Fame trainer Brian Cox is occasionally astatine pains to rehabilitate the nationalist cognition of his athlete’s Derby flummox, and has offered this deft contrarian position to the Daily Racing Form: “Obviously, that was not the capacity we were looking for successful the Derby but I thought it was a bully tally and I deliberation he’s a small spot forgotten. I deliberation if you do zero successful connected him and watch his race, he really ran beautiful well. I deliberation we would person been good if we would person conscionable settled a small spot much arsenic opposed to asking for the position (in the backmost that) he sewage going into the first turn. It’s ever easier to look backmost and second-guess things."

This presumes a bigger tally than Commandant was capable to muster successful the past furlongs, but simply put, Cox is saying that then-jock Luis Saez brought Commandant up a small early and didn’t conserve arsenic overmuch power arsenic he should person against the Derby’s accelerated pace, frankincense taking Commandant’s expertise to bring a bigger tally down a notch aliases two. What Cox is besides saying is, contempt that, he ran a very respectable seventh.

And yet, it’s the Derby, not the Belmont capacity to see erstwhile betting the precocious runner successful the Jim Dandy, precisely because, arsenic has been bruited astir advertisement nauseum, the “spoiler-ness” of Saratoga lies successful what is considered to beryllium the track’s bias for speed.

Which, successful turn, goes toward explaining why nary little a salient New York Racing Association handicapper/presenter/Saratoga-gabfest-maven than Andy Serling suggests (on the NYRA website that the Jim Dandy will spot Commandment down toward the bottommost of the bid of finish, pinch Renegade, Silent Tactic, Chip Honcho battling it retired astatine the statement earlier him. That tin mean that Commandment is – astatine 1 and an eighth miles – successful threat of leaving himself excessively overmuch to do successful a precocious run.

It’s by nary intends definite that this will beryllium Serling’s apical title script astatine week’s extremity – it’s a chaotic world retired location successful Jim Dandy-land what pinch each this surfeit of talent that tin beryllium publication truthful galore ways – and it tin besides beryllium that, price-wise, it conscionable plain much nosy to spot Silent Tactic and Chip Honcho up successful the exotics mix.

Meanwhile, Cox has his Jim Dandy jock successful blinkers now, to thief his attraction successful the turns, which whitethorn help. And Cox is relying connected Johnny V to get Commandment up and around. But it’s adjacent to opportunity that not a batch of Commandment’s connections person rather wrapped their minds astir the greeting statement favourite moving fourth.