Trainer Cherie DeVaux announced on Wednesday that Golden Tempo, winner of the 2025 Kentucky Derby, will not compete in the Preakness Stakes. The decision, made in consultation with owners Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable, prioritizes the colt's recovery and long-term health. The team has stated its intention to prepare the horse for the Belmont Stakes on June 6.
Trainer's Announcement
The decision was communicated via a social media post from DeVaux's stable on Wednesday. The statement read:
"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. We are looking forward to pointing him toward the Belmont Stakes."
On Monday, DeVaux had indicated the decision would depend on the horse's energy level after a few days of rest.
Race Data and Scheduling Context
Golden Tempo recorded a 95 Beyer Speed Figure in the Derby, the lowest for a Derby winner since that metric gained widespread use in the 1990s. The horse's racing schedule has included intervals of 28, 25, 35, and 42 days between starts. The Preakness is scheduled 14 days after the Derby.
The two-week gap between the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes has been cited by trainers as a factor in decisions to bypass the second leg of the Triple Crown. Trainer Brad Cox stated that a one-week delay "is not enough" and that "you would like more than three weeks" between the Derby and Preakness.
Triple Crown History
Golden Tempo is the second consecutive Kentucky Derby winner to bypass the Preakness, following Sovereignty in 2024. He is the third Derby winner in the last five years not to enter the Preakness, with Rich Strike also skipping the race in 2022. The Preakness has not featured a Triple Crown contender in six of the last eight years. The last horse to win all three Triple Crown races was Justify in 2018.
Sovereignty, after skipping the Preakness in 2024, went on to win the Belmont Stakes and the Travers Stakes.
Upcoming Races
The 2025 Preakness Stakes is scheduled for May 16. It will be held at Laurel Park in Maryland while Pimlico Race Course undergoes reconstruction. The planned return to Pimlico is set for 2027.
The Belmont Stakes is scheduled for June 6 at Saratoga Race Course in New York, due to renovations at Belmont Park. The race will be run at a distance of 1 1/4 miles, instead of its traditional 1 1/2 miles.
As of the announcement, none of the 19 horses that ran in the Kentucky Derby have committed to running in the Preakness. Ocelli (third place in the Derby) is expected to run. Whit Beckman, trainer of Ocelli, reversed an earlier decision not to run and has committed the horse to the race, citing the horse's fitness and the prestige of the Triple Crown. Up to 15 other horses are being considered for the Preakness field, which can accommodate a maximum of 14 horses. If entered, the current Preakness favorite could be Crude Velocity, winner of the Pat Day Mile, though trainer Bob Baffert has not made a decision.