RismadarVoice Reporters, May 7, 2026
Fresh off a dramatic victory in the Kentucky Derby, Golden Tempo will not compete in next weekend’s Preakness Stakes, trainer Cherie DeVaux confirmed Wednesday, opting instead to prepare the colt for the Belmont Stakes on June 6 at Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York.
DeVaux, who made history as the first woman to train a Derby winner, said the decision was guided by the horse’s long-term well-being following an intense performance at Churchill Downs.
“We are incredibly appreciative of the excitement and support surrounding the possibility of a Triple Crown run,” DeVaux said in a statement. “Golden gave us the race of a lifetime in the Kentucky Derby, and we believe 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.”
Golden Tempo’s absence continues a growing trend in American horse racing. The colt becomes the third Derby winner in the past five years to skip the Preakness, and the sixth in eight years in which the second leg of the Triple Crown will proceed without a chance at a sweep. Only American Pharoah (2015) and Justify (2018) have captured all three races in the last four decades.
At the heart of the shift is the demanding two-week gap between the Derby and the Preakness—once standard practice but now increasingly viewed as too taxing for elite thoroughbreds, which typically race with longer recovery intervals. The issue has sparked ongoing debate within the sport, with Maryland racing authorities considering moving the Preakness to a later date to encourage broader participation from Derby contenders.
This year, none of the 18 horses that ran at Churchill Downs are expected to line up for the Preakness, with Golden Tempo the only one previously under consideration.
Complicating matters further, the Preakness will be held at Laurel Park this spring as its traditional home, Pimlico Race Course, undergoes a major redevelopment. The project includes the demolition of the ageing facility, with plans to transform Pimlico into a year-round racing hub under state control beginning next year.
Golden Tempo’s Derby triumph was a stunning upset. Sent off at 23-1 odds, the colt surged from the back of the field with a powerful late charge, edging past morning-line favourite Renegade by a neck in a thrilling finish.
DeVaux and co-owner Daisy Phipps Pulito had indicated they would assess the horse’s condition before making a decision. Their choice mirrors a similar move last year by trainer Bill Mott and Godolphin Racing, who bypassed the Preakness with Derby winner Sovereignty. That strategy paid dividends, with Sovereignty going on to win both the Belmont Stakes and the Travers Stakes before returning successfully as a four-year-old.
