Derby winner Golden Tempo won't run Preakness
Key takeaways
- De Vaux and owners decided to skip the Preakness and set their sights on the Belmont Stakes on June 6 at Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York.
- "We are incredibly appreciative of the excitement and support surrounding the possibility of a Triple Crown run," DeVaux said in a statement.
- Golden Tempo is the third Derby winner in the past five years not to be entered in the Preakness.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
De Vaux and owners decided to skip the Preakness and set their sights on the Belmont Stakes on June 6 at Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York. DeVaux, who became the first woman to train a Derby winner, is from Saratoga Springs, which is hosting the Belmont for a third and final time this year.
"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 is the third Derby winner in the past five years not to be entered in the Preakness. For various reasons, it is the sixth time in eight years the Preakness will happen with no chance of a Triple Crown on the line. American Pharoah in 2015 and Justify in 2018 are the only horses to sweep all three races over the past four decades.