I Can’t Believe it! Golden Tempo Races To Victory At The Belmont Stakes

Every year, the Triple Crown series in horse racing gives us a surprise.

A horse comes from out of nowhere, wins a big race, and immediately the questions start. Was it luck? Could this horse be a one-hit wonder?

THE REAL DEAL

Golden Tempo didn't just win the Belmont Stakes. He ended the debate.

Golden Tempo's team heard all of those questions after winning the Kentucky Derby five weeks ago. Was it luck? Did everything just fall into place? Can this horse really do what he did at the Kentucky Derby again? The experts said it was highly unlikely. Renegade was the favorite...again.

But Saturday, at Saratoga Race Course, Golden Tempo did what some thought was impossible. He was in last place...again...and came charging from the back of the pack once again to win the 158th running of the Belmont Stakes, almost a repeat of the Kentucky Derby run.

Get our free mobile app

Golden Tempo was a 6-1 longshot, and he finished a length and a quarter ahead of Commandment, while betting favorite Renegade crossed the wire in third place.

For anyone still wondering if the Kentucky Derby was a fluke, the Belmont Stakes offered a pretty convincing answer.

No.

This horse is the real deal.

What made Saturday's victory so impressive to me wasn't just the result. It was how Golden Tempo got there.

FROM LAST TO FIRST

I listened to racing experts all week, questioning whether he could duplicate his Derby magic. In Louisville, Kentucky, the pace unfolded perfectly for a closer.

The Belmont Stakes were way different. The pace wasn't nearly as quick, and even jockey Jose Ortiz admitted afterward that he was concerned that the race wasn't setting up the way it had in the Derby.

In the end...it didn't matter. Golden Tempo still found another gear when it mattered most.

Golden Tempo was sitting roughly 12 lengths behind the leaders. Then...Jose Ortiz asked him to go, and when he did, Golden Tempo responded exactly the way great horses do. He passed horse after horse after horse... down the stretch he went... and pulled away for another signature victory. It was breathtaking to watch.

Trainer Cherie DeVaux said after the race that she felt Golden Tempo needed this victory to prove he deserved the Kentucky Derby win, and that's exactly what happened.

RELATED STORIES: Minnesota Girl Is Losing Sleep Over the Kentucky Derby

CREDIT IS GIVEN TO GOLDEN TEMPO

The spotlight after the race wasn't on history, records, or milestones. DeVaux repeatedly pointed the attention toward the horse, the jockey, and the entire team behind the victory. That's fitting because this story really is about Golden Tempo.

Golden Tempo keeps showing up.

And while he didn't win the Triple Crown after skipping the Preakness Stakes, he still accomplished something very few horses have managed to do. DeVaux was asked after the race if she thought that he could have won the Triple Crown, and she quickly shut everyone down. There were no second thoughts of what could have been. She said she would always choose what was best for Golden Tempo and stuck by her decision not to run in The Preakness.

ACHIEVING GREATNESS

Golden Tempo became just the second horse in consecutive years to win both the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes after bypassing the Preakness. Last year's Belmont winner, Sovereignty, did it in 2025.

Before that, you'd have to go back to some of the sport's biggest names to find horses capable of winning multiple Triple Crown races in the same season.

Of course, the gold standard remains Secretariat in 1973, Seattle Slew in 1977, Affirmed in 1978, American Pharaoh in 2015, and Justify in 2018, all of whom swept all three Triple Crown races.

BIG ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Golden Tempo didn't get the chance to make a Triple Crown run, but he did something almost as difficult in today's racing world.

He won two of the biggest races in America and did it while many people were still questioning whether he belonged among the elite three-year-olds.

Now that the conversation is over.

Saturday's Belmont Stakes also marked the final year the race will be held at Saratoga before returning to its traditional home at Belmont Park in 2027. That gave the day an added sense of history, but Golden Tempo made sure the crowd left talking about something else.

The horse that wouldn't quit.The horse that kept coming.The horse that refused to let anyone explain away his Kentucky Derby victory.

The Belmont Stakes wasn't simply another win for Golden Tempo..It was proof.

WILL GOLDEN TEMPO BE RETIRING?

Many are now asking if Golden Tempo will be retiring from his wins at The Kentucky Derby and The Belmont Stakes. The answer is NO. Golden Tempo actually has a pretty busy summer schedule.

Golden Tempo's next race is expected to be the Jim Dandy Stakes on August 1st, followed by the Travers Stakes on August 29th, both taking place in Saratoga Springs.

FUN FACT- IS GOLDEN TEMPO RELATED TO SECRETARIAT?

Many people are asking if Golden Tempo is related to Secretariat, and the answer is YES! Golden Tempo is a descendant of the legendary Secretariat, sitting five generations back, specifically on his mother's side.