The dream of a traditional Triple Crown winner ended the moment Kentucky Derby champion Golden Tempo officially declined participating in the 2026 Preakness Stakes. Trainer Cherie DeVaux and her ownership group elected to give the Derby winner extra recovery time after his historic run at Churchill Downs, opting instead to target the Belmont Stakes in June.
But while the horse racing world quickly shifted away from Triple Crown discussions, one fascinating storyline remains alive heading into Baltimore: jockey Jose Ortiz still has a chance to win all three Triple Crown races aboard different horses.
The dramatic come-from-behind performance not only gave Ortiz his first Derby triumph, but also helped DeVaux become the first woman to train a Derby winner in race history.
Ortiz already owns victories in each Triple Crown race during his career – winning the Belmont Stakes in 2017 with Tapwrit and the Preakness Stakes in 2022 aboard Early Voting.
Chip Honcho Could Be Dangerous at Laurel
Ortiz heads to the Preakness Stakes aboard Chip Honcho, a colt trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen.
The colt may not carry the same star power as Golden Tempo, but he has quietly built one of the more respectable resumes among this year’s 3-year-olds.
The son of Connect won the Gun Runner Stakes at Fair Grounds before repeatedly facing top competition during Louisiana’s prep season. He finished fourth behind Golden Tempo in the Lecomte Stakes, ran second in the Fasig-Tipton Risen Star while Golden Tempo was third, and later finished fifth in the Louisiana Derby, where Golden Tempo came home third.
Those efforts suggest Chip Honcho belongs in this conversation, especially in a Preakness field that suddenly lacks a dominant headliner.
Even more importantly, Ortiz already knows the horse well. He rode Chip Honcho to his maiden victory at Churchill Downs last fall before moving over to Golden Tempo during the spring campaign.
Asmussen made it clear that relationship mattered when finalizing the Preakness mount.
“He’s familiar with the horse,” Asmussen said. “Just through consistently working with Jose over the winter and stuff, you’re always discussing races and racehorses. It was his belief in Golden Tempo that proved true.”
Jockeys Who Have Ridden Triple Crown Winners
Across more than a century of Triple Crown racing, only a select few jockeys have guided a horse through the grueling Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes gauntlet.
Eddie Arcaro remains the only rider to guide two Triple Crown winners to glory. Arcaro piloted Whirlaway in 1941 and Citation in 1948, helping cement his status as one of the greatest riders in horse racing history.
No jockey, though, has ever won all three races in the same season aboard different horses. Ortiz could be the first to do so.
Here’s a look at the complete list of jockeys who have ridden Triple Crown winners:
- Johnny Loftus – Sir Barton (1919)
- Earle Sande – Gallant Fox (1930)
- William Saunders – Omaha (1935)
- Charles Kurtsinger – War Admiral (1937)
- Eddie Arcaro – Whirlaway (1941) and Citation (1948)
- Johnny Longden – Count Fleet (1943)
- Warren Mehrtens – Assault (1946)
- Ron Turcotte – Secretariat (1973)
- Jean Cruguet – Seattle Slew (1977)
- Steve Cauthen – Affirmed (1978)
- Victor Espinoza – American Pharoah (2015)
- Mike Smith – Justify (2018)
A Rare Opportunity for Ortiz
Historically, jockeys winning multiple Triple Crown races in the same season on different horses is uncommon, but not impossible. The modern sport rarely presents these opportunities because Derby winners almost always continue to the Preakness.
Debate over whether the Triple Crown schedule still fits modern training philosophies has recently become a hot topic.
According to Sports Illustrated, “of the 18 horses who ran for the roses in Louisville, surprising third-place finisher Ocelli (a 70-1 bomb shot) appears to be the only one headed to Maryland.”
Churchill Downs Incorporated recently acquired the intellectual property rights connected to the Preakness, so the door for potential long-term structural changes to the series has been opened.
However, for Ortiz, the focus remains much simpler: win the next race.
If Chip Honcho captures the Preakness and Golden Tempo returns for the Belmont Stakes, Ortiz could suddenly face one of the most unusual dilemmas in modern racing.
Does he stay loyal to the Derby winner that gave him his breakthrough moment? Or does he continue riding the horse that kept his Triple Crown dream alive?
A Rare Triple Crown Feat Remains Possible Heading Into Preakness