Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo will not contest the 1 3/16-mile Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park on May 16.
Trainer Cherie DeVaux wrote in a statement on X: “After much thoughtful discussion as a team, we have decided that Golden Tempo will bypass the Preakness Stakes.
“We are incredibly appreciative of the excitement and support surrounding the possibility of a Triple Crown run. The enthusiasm from racing fans, our owners, and our entire team has meant more to us than we can properly express.
“Golden gave us the race of a lifetime in the Kentucky Derby, and we believe that the best decision for him moving forward is to give him a little more time following such a tremendous effort. His health, happiness, and long-term future will always remain our top priority.
“We are looking forward to pointing him toward the Belmont Stakes and are excited for what lies ahead with this very special horse.
“Thank you again to everyone who has supported and believed in this journey alongside us.”
The first Kentucky Derby winner trained by a woman, Golden Tempo is the third Kentucky Derby winner in the last five years to bypass the middle leg of the Triple Crown. Rich Strike, 80-1 winner in 2022, bypassed the Preakness because of the spacing, as did Sovereignty last year.
The move comes as trainers have renewed calls to increase the space between the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, or among all three races.
Trainer Brad Cox said in a press conference the week before the Kentucky Derby: “The pressure it puts on the horses in regards to getting in the Derby, and then to ask them to run a mile and a quarter … then to turn around and think you’ve got to run a mile and three-sixteenths, 14 days later; it’s a lot.”
“We have to take a step back and look at what’s best, even if it’s an uncomfortable change,” trainer Chad Brown said during the same press conference. “Looking at it now, I don’t know if it’s sustainable. I would predict it is going to change, certainly in my career, before it’s over. It’s just, is it going to be within the next few years, or is it going to be 15 years from now?”
DeVaux was an assistant trainer to Brown for approximately eight years.
This story was originally published by Paulick Report on May 6, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Paulick Report as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
