Over the weekend, Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo added the Belmont Stakes to his win column. He skipped the Preakness, so he could not win the Triple Crown. But winning two of the three races means he wins the “double crown,” which is not a designation I’ve heard mentioned but is worthy of note.

Yesterday I watched a replay of the the colt’s come-from-behind victory. As the thoroughbred made up a seemingly impossible amount of ground, I thought about the heart of a horse who can achieve such a feat.

What is it that fires up the winner, that pushes an animal to run faster than the others? What role does temperament play? Anatomy? Training?

I learned this morning that Golden Tempo is a descendant of Secretariat, a horse with a 24-foot-11-inch stride. I remember seeing markers demonstrating this stride at the Kentucky Horse Park years ago. It seemed an impossible foot (hoof) fall.

But mechanics are only part of the equation. A horse must want to come from behind to win, must respond to track and rider. How much of this is a mystery, something we’ll never know or understand? Quite a lot, I think.