Looking Ahead to the Second Half of 2026 for Three-Year-Olds

Golden Tempo – Cherie DeVaux trainee is cemented atop the leaderboard following stylish wins in both the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Belmont (G1). The ever-improving son of Curlin will have the Travers (G1) at Saratoga as his ultimate summer goal, and if things go well there, the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) will undoubtedly be on the horizon. 

Renegade – Arkansas Derby (G1) victor might have lost some of his luster when third in the Belmont for Todd Pletcher, but the colt still has plenty of talent and shouldn’t be ignored as the season progresses. He’s currently second in the division with a Grade 1 win and two classic placings. It’s possible that the Into Mischief colt simply doesn’t love Saratoga, as two of his ‘lesser’ performances occurred at The Spa. The Breeders Classic at Keeneland will be his main end-of-the-year focus, but he is also likely to run in the Travers. 

Commandment – Florida Derby (G1) star ran a winning race in defeat in the Belmont for Brad Cox and has to be considered a dangerous commodity in every three-year-old contest for the duration of the season. The Into Mischief colt proved that his Derby run was an outlier, and I like his versatility to excel at distances ranging from one mile to 10 furlongs. He will also target the Travers. 

Chief Wallabee – Mott trainee was far from embarrassed when finishing fourth in both the Derby and Belmont. His conditioner indicated that he might be best up to nine panels, so I would hope to see him target an event like the Pennsylvania Derby (G1) at Parx, where he would be a major contender. The sophomore still has a very bright future, in my opinion.

Napoleon Solo – Preakness (G1) star possesses imposing early speed that will play well in nearly any race for trainer Chad Summers. While I believe that he would be an excellent one-turn specialist, his connections know better than I do and will keep him going long next time out. The Haskell (G1) at Monmouth Park will reportedly be his next target, and his running style on that surface could lead to another Grade 1 trophy. 

Further Ado – Second one from the Brad Cox barn finished unplaced in the Derby as the tepid favorite but put in a stylish run when easily taking the Matt Winn (G3) at Churchill on June 7. The Gun Runner colt can be especially good on his best day and belongs in the conversation of the most talented runners in his division. The Haskell is his next potential target, according to his connections. 

Crude Velocity – Baffert pupil has earned triple-digit Brisnet Speed ratings in three straight and was game in holding second behind the ‘freaky’ Englishman in the Woody Stephens (G1) most recently. I’m excited about the Pat Day Mile (G2) hero getting back to two turns, presumably in the Haskell in his next assignment. 

Iron Honor – Chad Brown trainee was a game runner-up in the Preakness in his last showing, and while he is a cut below the aforementioned pair at this stage of his development, the son of Nyquist still has a lot of room to grow with additional experience. The colt has some catching up to do, and he’s not on everyone’s radar, but he is on mine. The Jim Dandy-Travers path could lie ahead for the Kentucky-bred.