Golden Tempo’s smart move
Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo will not be in the Preakness Stakes this weekend. Trainer Cherie DeVaux announced it Wednesday: the colt is rested and aiming straight for the Belmont Stakes on June 6 at Saratoga. The reason? They prioritize their health and long-term future.
“We are incredibly grateful for the excitement and support around the possibility of a Triple Crown race,” DeVaux said. “Golden gave us the race of our lives in the Kentucky Derby, and we believe the best decision for him going forward is to give him a little more time after such a tremendous effort. His health, happiness and long-term future will always remain our top priority.”
What is behind this decision?
The two-week gap between the Derby and the Preakness is no longer a deal for many. Most elite thoroughbreds now rest a month or more between races. This has opened an intense debate in the equestrian world about whether the Triple Crown needs a new calendar.
Golden Tempo is the third Derby winner in five years to skip the Preakness. In fact, it will be the sixth time in eight seasons that the second jewel will race without the possibility of a Triple Crown. Only American Pharoah (2015) and Justify (2018) have achieved the feat in the last four decades.
The context: Preakness in transition mode
The Preakness is being run this year at Laurel Park, while they rebuild Pimlico, their historic home. And beware: none of the 18 horses that raced at Churchill Downs are headed to Laurel. Golden Tempo was the only candidate, and he already dropped out.
Lessons in resilience
Let’s remember that Golden Tempo won the Derby as an unexpected 23-1, coming from behind in the final stretch to win by a neck. DeVaux, the first woman to train a Derby winner, is from Saratoga Springs, so the Belmont at home has a special flavor.
Last year, champion Sovereignty did the same: he skipped the Preakness, won the Belmont and the Travers, and continues to compete today as a four-year-old. Sometimes the best play is not the fastest, but the smartest. As in sport, as in life: knowing when to accelerate and when to breathe makes the difference between a flash and a legend.
