Buzzkill: Kentucky Derby Winner Golden Tempo Won’t Run in Preakness, Ending Suspense for a Triple Crown This Year

Horse racing officials may have no choice but to change the scheduling of its Triple Crown races if the sport of kings ever expects to get a Triple Crown winner anytime soon.The upcoming Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the Triple Crown series, became just another high grade race on Wednesday when trainer Cherie DeVaux announced that the surprise winner of the 152nd Kentucky Derby, Golden Tempo, is skipping the Preakness on May 16 to rest for the Belmont Stakes on June 6 at Saratoga Springs.“We are incredibly appreciative of the excitement and support surrounding the possibility of a Triple Crown run,” Ms. DeVaux said in a statement posted on social media. “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.”The absence of the Derby winner in the Preakness is a growing trend that likely isn’t going to change as trainers and owners put a higher priority on the long-term future of a horse than the legacy of being a Triple Crown winner. Golden Tempo is the third Derby winner in the past five years and sixth in the last eight not to enter the Preakness.American Pharoah in 2015 and Justify in 2018 are the only horses to sweep all three races over the past four decades.The two-week turnaround from the Derby to the Preakness is now viewed as too demanding for colts whose trainers and owners typically give elite thoroughbreds a month or more between races. The current Triple Crown series compacted in five weeks has created recurring debate about extending the time between races.None of the 18 horses who ran this year at Churchill Downs are heading to the Preakness, which is taking place at Laurel Park in Maryland while its traditional home, Pimlico Race Track at nearby Baltimore, undergoes a massive renovation.Ms. DeVaux, 44, became the first female trainer to win the Kentucky Derby when Golden Tempo, a 23-1 longshot, charged from the last place to reach the finish line a neck ahead of Renegade, the morning favorite.The race was the most watched Kentucky Derby in history, averaging 19.6 million viewers. Since then, Ms. DeVaux has been on numerous talk shows basking in her and the horse’s victory.She initially said she and co-owner Daisy Phipps Pulito would see how the colt came out of the race before deciding on entering the Preakness. Though she did not indicate any setbacks, the decision was made to skip the Preakness and head to Saratoga where Ms. DeVaux was born.“We are looking forward to pointing him toward the Belmont Stakes and are excited for what lies ahead with this very special horse,” Ms. DeVaux said in the statement.While few would argue the health and safety of the horses should be a priority, the decision is a huge buzzkill for horse racing. With Ms. DeVaux doing the banquet circuit, the sport has gotten more attention in recent days than it has in recent years.Reared in a racing family, Ms. DeVaux acknowledged winning the Triple Crown is “hard for a reason.” But in recent years, trainers are choosing longevity over the prestige of being a Triple Crown winner. Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott and Godolphin Racing won the Derby last year with Sovereignty but elected to skip the Preakness and rest for the Belmont.Sovereignty responded by winning the Belmont and the Travers Stakes to earn Horse of the Year honors and is currently racing as a four year old.While the winner of the Preakness receives $1.2 million in prize money, that amount is dwarfed by what a top thoroughbred can receive in career earnings and stud fees that can exceed $300,000 a session for doing what comes naturally.Reaction to the decision on social media was mixed, ranging from “Don’t enter the Triple Crown if you are not gonna go for it,” to “I love this! Prioritizing Golden Tempo’s wellbeing over the immediate gratification of money, cameras, celebrity.”While the chance of a potential Triple Crown winner is lost for another year, the Belmont Stakes should feature a much-anticipated rematch between Golden Tempo and Renegade at Saratoga.

Buzzkill: Kentucky Derby Winner Golden Tempo Won’t Run in Preakness, Ending Suspense for a Triple Crown This Year

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