Golden Tempo to skip Preakness and end Triple Crown hopes

There will be no Triple crown winner in the US this season with the connections of the Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo deciding to bypass the second leg … the Preakness … in favour of allowing their history making winner more time to recover from the strenuous, come from behind run he produced to carry the day in punishing dogfight of a finish.

“The horse comes first,” was the unwavering position of Cherie DeVaux, who made history by becoming the first female trainer to win the Kentucky Derby winner.

With just two weeks between the Derby and the Preakness on May 16, DeVaux ended all speculation about a tilt at the Triple Crown, by putting out a statement which read:

‘We are incredibly appreciative of the excitement and support surrounding a possibility of a Triple Crown run. 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.’

De Vaux did add, ‘We are looking forward to pointing him toward the Belmont Stakes and are excited for what lies ahead with this very special horse.’

The Belmont Stakes, the third leg of the Triple Crown races, will take place on June 6 at the Saratoga track.

Last year, Sovereignty, the 2025 Kentucky Derby winner, followed the same route that is now being tracked by Golden Tempo, missing the Preakness before coming out and winning Belmont Stakes.

The last horse to win the Triple Crown was Justify in 2018.