June 8 (UPI) -- Golden Tempo proved his Kentucky Derby victory was no fluke with a dominating victory in the Belmont Stakes on an action-packed weekend at Saratoga that featured Breeders' Cup contenders, champions from 2025 looking for repeats and breakthrough performances.

The three days of the festival at Saratoga dominated the action. But there were other races of note here and there. To make room for it all, we deal with the international racing action, including the Derby and Oaks on Epsom Downs, separately.

Back to Upstate New York:

(All results from Saratoga except as noted.)

It rained a little bit on the Belmont Stakes on Saturday at Saratoga, but nothing could rain on trainer Cherie DeVaux's parade as she celebrated another come-from-behind win by her star pupil, Golden Tempo.

Classic / dirt mile

Nysos, making his first start since finishing second to Forever Young in the $20 million Group 1 Saudi Cup, dominated a talented field in Saturday's $1 million Grade I Metropolitan Handicap, the "Met Mile".

The 5-year-old son of Nyquist tracked the early speed under Flavien Prat, hit the gas early in the stretch run and pulled clear through the final sixteenth, winning by 4 lengths over Knightsbridge with 2025 Preakness and Haskell winner Journalism third.

Nysos, trained by Bob Baffert, won for the eighth time in 10 starts and earned a "Win and You're In" bid to the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, which he captured last year.

Sunday's $500,000 Grade III Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs was chockablock with Kentucky Derby also-rans and one-time Triple Crown hopefuls. The victory went to Further Ado, a Gun Runner colt from the Brad Cox barn who won the Grade I Blue Grass at Keeneland before finishing 11th in the Run for the Roses.

The first three finishers from the Kentucky Oaks were the first three home in Friday's $500,000 Grade I Acorn -- but in a different order.

Counting Stars, an Honor A.P. filly who settled for third at Churchill Downs, came around rivals on the stretch turn, found a new gear in the final furlong and got home first by 3 3/4 lengths in the Acorn.

Oaks winner Always a Runner was second, 2 lengths in front of Oaks runner-up Meaning.

Counting Stars, with Irad Ortiz Jr. up for trainer Mark Casse, ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.85.

Nitrogen looked propelled by rocket fuel in Friday's $500,000 Grade I Ogden Phipps Stakes. The 2025 3-year-old filly champion wasted no time taking the lead and, when turned loose by jockey Jose Ortiz, kicked away smartly to win by 12 3/4 lengths.

Fully Subscribed and Bless the Broken dead-heated for second and third.

Book'em Danno let Bentornado and Listenupshance slug it out on the front end in Saturday's $400,000 Grade III True North Stakes, and then blew by that pair in the final sixteenth to win by 3/4 length from Bentornado.

It was the first time those two had met head-to-head since they finished second and third behind Forever Young in the 2024 Saudi Derby. Paco Lopez had his usual ride for trainer Derek Ryan and Atlantic Six Racing as Book'em Danno, the reigning Eclipse Award male sprint champ, won the True North for the second year in a row.

Englishman showed his fellow 3-year-old sprinters how it's done in Saturday's $500,000 Grade I Woody Stephens Stakes, kicking away from the field in the lane to win by 5 3/4 lengths. The odds-on favorite, Crude Velocity, was second.

Englishman, a Kentucky-bred Maxfield colt trained by DeVaux, traveled 7 furlongs in 1:20.40, equaling the 48-year-old track record.

At Gulfstream Park, Rolando dueled to the lead in Saturday's $100,000 Big Drama Handicap, then won a tight, three-way photo by a nose over Back Em Up. The 4-year-old Vekoma colt ran 7 furlongs on a fast track in 1:22.85 with Diego Herrera up for trainer Fausto Gutierrez.

Filly & mare sprint

Ways and Means was up in the final stride to win Friday's $300,000 Grade II Bed o' Roses Stakes by a nose over Grand Job. Ways and Means, a Klaravich Stables homebred mare by Practical Joke, won the 2025 Bed o' Roses, but looked out of luck for a repeat at the sixteenth pole Friday before she found one last burst of energy for jockey Flavien Prat.

Explora completed a pretty nice weekend for trainer Baffert with a front-running, 1 1/4-length victory in Sunday's $225,000 Leslie's Lady Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Churchill Downs.

Turf / turf mile

Deterministic prompted the pace made by Rhetorical all the way into the stretch in Saturday's $1 Million Grade I Resorts World Casino Manhattan Stakes, challenged outside that rival and won the duel to the finish by 1/2 length.

South African-bred One Stripe ran late to get third and the favorite, French invader Bright Picture, finished seventh.

Deterministic, a 5-year-old by Liam's Map, ran 1 3/16 miles in course-record time of 1:50.50.

Pass the Hat pressed the pace made by odds-on favorite Zulu Kingdom in Sunday's $300,000 Grade III Poker Stakes, corralled that one for the lead and held off Capitol Hill to win by a nose. Zulu Kingdom finished third.

Filly & mare turf / turf mile

Portfolio Duration got the early lead in Friday's $750,000 Grade I New York Stakes and turned back a series of challenges, finally winning by a head over Cankoura, who came from next-last of eight. Gazora, the reigning Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf champion, faded steadily and finished last.

Fitz Right got the perfect trip in Friday's $300,000 Grade II Wonder Again Stakes for 3-year-old fillies. The Charlatan miss let the two front-runners go until they hit the turn, rallied outside of them into the stretch and won by 1 length over the favorite, Lion Lake.

Classic Q went right to the front in Saturday's $500,000 Grade I Just a Game Stakes and wasn't caught. French invader Mandanaba made a run at her in the final sixteenth, but came up 1 1/4 lengths short. Segesta was third.

At Santa Anita, Darya raced near the back of the field into the stretch run of Saturday's $100,000 Honeymoon Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, rallied around rivals alongside Inbox and beat that one to the finish by a nose.

Darya, an Irish-bred filly by Persian King, ran 1 mile on firm turf in 1:35.64 with Hector Berrios riding for trainer Phil D'Amato.

Reef Runner, winner of the Group 2 1351 Turf Sprint in Saudi Arabia in February, got back in the win column with a pace-stalking 1/2-length victory in Saturday's $500,000 Grade I Jaipur and earned a "Win and You're In" spot in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint in the process.

Reef Runner followed his Saudi win with a fourth in the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint in Dubai in March.

Also: on Saturday at Churchill Downs, Doncho got the better of the favorite, Joe Shiesty, in the stretch run of the $225,000 Mighty Beau Stakes, winning by 3/4 length in course-record time of 55.01 seconds.

Stay the Day, the odds-on pick, drew off in the final furlong to win Sunday's $225,000 Soaring Softly for 3-year-old fillies at Saratoga by 2 3/4 lengths.