Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo will not take his shot at the Preakness Stakes in two weeks, trainer Cherie DeVaux confirmed Wednesday, opting instead to aim the colt at the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga with the horse’s well-being front and center. DeVaux’s May 2 Derby triumph already secured her place in history as the first woman to train a Kentucky Derby winner.
In a post on X, DeVaux said the team ultimately decided Golden Tempo needed “a little more time” and stressed that “his health, happiness, and long-term future will remain our top priority,” according to WMAR2 News. A Churchill Downs release notes that Golden Tempo covered the 1 1/4-mile Kentucky Derby in 2:02.27 with José Ortiz in the irons.
Where the Preakness will be run this year
This year’s Preakness, the 151st running, will be held Saturday, May 16, at Laurel Park in Laurel, Maryland, after Pimlico was taken offline for redevelopment, according to the race’s official site. With the venue moving down the road and the weekend scaled back, the second jewel of the Triple Crown is expected to look and feel different for fans used to Pimlico’s raucous infield scene and heftier crowds.
Trend: Derby winners bowing out of the middle jewel
Golden Tempo’s absence continues a recent and not-so-popular trend. Last year’s Kentucky Derby winner, Sovereignty, also skipped the Preakness, ending that Triple Crown bid, according to reporting by AP News. Back-to-back Derby winners bypassing the Preakness has turned into a running debate over how trainers juggle the tight two-week turnaround with the demands of a long, high-stakes campaign.
Local coverage in Baltimore has already flagged the fallout. The Baltimore Banner wrote that the Preakness “badly needs the narrative zest” that the Derby winner and DeVaux would have brought to Laurel Park, noting that organizers and fans were watching closely as the field takes shape. The Baltimore Banner also detailed how the venue change and plans for a smaller crowd are already reshaping expectations for this year’s meet.
As for what comes next, DeVaux said the connections will now focus on the Belmont Stakes on June 6 at Saratoga, a move that lines up with the New York Racing Association’s Belmont-at-Saratoga schedule. NYRA notes that the later date gives Golden Tempo a longer breather before tackling the third jewel of the Triple Crown at Saratoga.
