Top and bottom, Golden Tempo (by Curlin) was bred to be a classic colt, and as he swept down the long stretch at historic Churchill Downs, the deafening roar of the crowd swelled and buoyed the bay colt on his day of destiny. At the wire, Golden Tempo defeated Renegade (Into Mischief) and Ocelli (Connect) by a neck and three-quarters of a length, respectively, in 2:02.27 for the 10 furlongs.
“Bred to be a classic colt” is not a catchphrase, either. Golden Tempo’s sire, for instance, is the latest of our homebred star stallions to sire a Triple Crown by getting winners of each of the individual races of the storied triple.
Indeed, Curlin himself raced in and placed in each of the 2007 Triple Crown races.
A foal of 2004, Curlin (Smart Strike) raced only three times, winning all, before competing for the 2007 Kentucky Derby, in which he was third behind champion juvenile Street Sense (Street Cry) and Hard Spun (Danzig). Two weeks later, Curlin defeated Street Sense to win the Preakness Stakes, then returned in three more weeks to lose a head bob to champion filly Rags to Riches (A.P. Indy) in the Belmont Stakes.
Subsequently the winner of the G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup and Breeders’ Cup Classic, then elected Horse of the Year, Curlin raced on at four to win four more G1 races, as well as a second championship and Horse of the Year.
Curlin
Sent to stud, first at Lane’s End Farm and then at Hill ‘n’ Dale at Xalapa, Curlin won his sire “triple crown” in reverse order. His first-crop son Palace Malice won the 2013 Belmont Stakes, Exaggerator won the 2016 Preakness Stakes, Journalism won a second Preakness for his sire last year, and Golden Tempo completed the trio on Saturday.
Aside from the sires of individual Triple Crown winners, the only sires of the past half-century to complete a similar feat were Mr. Prospector (Raise a Native) and his grandson Unbridled (Fappiano).
In the 1982 Belmont Stakes, Conquistador Cielo began the run for Mr. Prospector and was followed by Tank’s Prospect (1985) and Fusaichi Pegasus (2000). Unbridled had the shortest stallion career of any of this group but began his sire innings with a Kentucky Derby winner, Grindstone (1996), and followed with Preakness winner Red Bullet (2000) and Belmont Stakes winner Empire Maker (2003).
Carumba, the dam of Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo, at Claiborne FarmEquiSport Photos
It is not by chance that the pedigrees of classic performers are littered with horses of a similar aptitude, and Golden Tempo is out of graded stakes winner Carrumba, who is a daughter of 2006 Preakness Stakes winner Bernardini (A.P. Indy).
Golden Tempo’s pedigree contains all the major sires mentioned above, except Unbridled, as well as classic winners and classic sires such as Seattle Slew, Secretariat, Northern Dancer, Nijinsky, and Sir Ivor.
Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo as a yearlingJohn Sparkman Photo
Overall, however, this Derby story is the story of Curlin. The rangy and ruggedly constructed son of Smart Strike has not finished his saga as a sire, even though he was taken off the breeding schedule at Hill ‘n’ Dale at Xalapa this spring due to complications from an ulcer. Perhaps the champion will be able to return to breeding in 2027.
In the Derby, the trifecta was a celebration of Curlin. In addition to Golden Tempo, second-place Renegade is out of a mare by Curlin; third-place Ocelli is by Connect, a G1 winner by Curlin.
In addition to this year’s race for the Derby, Curlin has left a significant mark on the results board in previous years. His sons Exaggerator (2016), Good Magic (2018), and Journalism (2025) finished second in the Derby, and Good Magic has sired 2023 Kentucky Derby winner Mage, as well as his full brother, 2024 Preakness winner Dornoch.
The 2022 Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike also was sired by a son of Curlin, the 2015 Travers Stakes winner Keen Ice.
Aside from the Kentucky Derby, Curlin has proven an equally impressive and continuing success at stud. According to statistics from Equineline, the brawny chestnut has sired 11 champions, eight Breeders’ Cup winners, and 26 G1 winners. He has 69 graded stakes winners, 118 stakes winners, and 98 stakes-placed racers, as well.
With this volume of quality sons and daughters, the influence of Curlin is sure to continue, especially in the classics, for years to come.
This story was originally published by Paulick Report on May 6, 2026, where it first appeared in the Features section. Add Paulick Report as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
