Horses that have won Belmont Stakes and Kentucky Derby in same season: Golden Tempo makes history in 2026

Horses that have won Belmont Stakes and Kentucky Derby in same season: Golden Tempo makes history in 2026 originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Golden Tempo has officially entered rarified air with its win at the Belmont Stakes. He has become one of 67 horsesto win two Triple Crown events in a season and is the first horse to do so with a woman as his trainer, thanks to Cherie DeVaux.

Antithetical to his name, Golden Tempo struggled to maintain a good tempo early on in the race, at one point falling into dead last. After a strong push right at the end, however, Golden Tempo made a dramatic comeback and took the lead, winning the 2026 Belmont Stakes.

Who else has accomplished such a feat? Here’s what to know about the history behind Golden Tempo’s second Triple Crown race win.

MORE: Full results, finish order, highlights from 2026 Belmont Stakes

Horses that have won Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes

While 67 horses have won two legs of the Triple Crown in the same season, far fewer have won the Belmont and Kentucky Derby. Before Golden Tempo’s win in 2026, only a dozen horses had won both races, excluding the 13 Triple Crown winners.

YearHorse2026Golden Tempo2025Sovereignty1995Thunder Gulch1984Swale1976Bold Forbes1972Riva Ridge1963Chateaugay1956Needles1950Middleground1942Shut Out1939Johnstown1931Twenty Grand1923Zev

Why didn’t Golden Tempo run in Preakness?

Golden Tempo did not run in the Preakness Stakes due to the tight, two-week turnaround time between the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. As a result, the veterinarians did not want Golden Tempo to run for the sake of its health.

“In my career, I have never started a horse back on that short of rest. So Golden Tempo would have had to be doing much better, basically coming out of the race of his life,” DeVaux told the Athletic’s Teresa Genaro.

DeVaux understood, however, and recognized that it was the best decision for Golden Tempo’s health. That time off was used wisely, with Golden Tempo turning around and winning another difficult race. 

MORE: How much did Golden Tempo win at the 2026 Belmont Stakes?

What did Golden Tempo’s trainer say about Triple Crown following Belmont Stakes?

Cherie DeVaux was asked again after Golden Tempo’s win about the horse’s Triple Crown potential. DeVaux insisted that she didn’t want to entertain the idea. 

“It’s not something I want to think about. We made our decision and he won today and we’re going to be happy about that,” DeVaux told Tom Rinaldi on the FOX broadcast.

More history!

Tom Rinaldi is with Cherie DeVaux who becomes the first woman trainer to win multiple Triple Crown races! pic.twitter.com/ZR7TyDUYtC

— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 6, 2026

Historically, the first 11 horses to win the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes also ran in the Preakness. Last year was the first case of a horse sitting out the middle race, that being Sovereignty. This is reflective of the broader trend in veterinary standards for race horses. 

“Oversight with the veterinarians has gotten quite strict. The pendulum was all the way one way, and we’ve swung the complete opposite to where it can be frustrating to trainers with the decisions that the regulatory vets are making,” DeVaux told Genaro.|

MORE: Every Triple Crown winner in horse racing history

Golden Tempo jockey

Golden Tempo’s jockey is Jose L. Ortiz, a jockey from Puerto Rico who has been racing horses since 2012. Ortiz has won each of the the three triple crown events in his career.

Ortiz won his first Belmont Stakes in 2017 and his second in 2026. He also won the Preakness Stakes in 2022 and completed the trifecta with a win at the Kentucky Derby in 2026. 

Golden Tempo owner

Golden Tempo is co-owned by two organizations who have partnered up. The first is Phipps Stable, headed by Daisy Phipps Pulito and Ogden Phipps. This group is a decorated horse racing family who have forged a historic legacy in the sport. 

The other co-owner is St. Elias Stable, a group founded by Vincent Viola, the owner of the back-to-back Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers.