Derby winner Golden Tempo opts out of Preakness, highlighting Triple Crown scheduling woes

Credit: Scott Utterback/USA TODAY NETWORK

For the second consecutive year, the winner of the Kentucky Derby is opting out of the Preakness Stakes.

On Wednesday, Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Cherie DeVaux announced her horse, Golden Tempo, would not participate in the second leg of the Triple Crown later this month. In doing so, Golden Tempo follows in the footsteps of Sovereignty, the 2025 Kentucky Derby winner that also opted out of the Preakness citing modern rest and recovery standards for Thoroughbreds.

“After much thoughtful discussion as a team, we have decided that Golden Tempo will bypass the Preakness Stakes,” Cherie DeVaux Racing wrote in a statement. “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. …We are looking forward to pointing him toward the Belmont Stakes and are excited for what lies ahead with this very special horse.”

The decision continues a concerning trend for the Preakness, traditionally run two weeks following the Kentucky Derby. In three of the past five races dating back to the 2022 Preakness, the Kentucky Derby winner has not participated in the Triple Crown’s second leg.

Naturally, the trend has inspired serious reconsideration into how the Triple Crown calendar is arranged. Last month, reports surfaced that the Preakness is considering moving back one week on the calendar to allow a more appropriate rest period for the Derby winner, as well as other Derby horses. Such a move would almost certainly require the third leg of the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes, to also move back one week to maintain a three-week gap between itself and the Preakness.