Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo will not run in the May 15 Preakness Stakes, trainer Cherie DeVaux announced on Wednesday, and will instead point to the Belmont Stakes on June 6.
“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,” DeVaux wrote in a statement posted to X.
Golden Tempo becomes the second consecutive Derby winner to skip the Preakness, following Sovereignty last year. His absence will add fuel to the debate over whether the Triple Crown needs to evolve from its current format to account for the schedule of the modern Thoroughbred.
Many trainers have come to believe the traditional two-week gap between the Kentucky Derby and Preakness is not sufficient or even harmful if the goal is to have a horse healthy enough to win big races in the summer and fall.
There has been speculation the Preakness date could move as part of negotiations for the race’s television rights, which are up for renewal after this year’s running.
The Preakness this year will be run at Laurel Park just south of Baltimore while Pimlico is undergoing a grandstand renovation. It is scheduled to return in 2027.
As of Wednesday, none of the 19 horses that ran in the Kentucky Derby have committed to run in the Preakness.