Golden Tempo skips the Preakness

Horse racing’s spring trilogy just lost its biggest plotline. Golden Tempo, the Kentucky Derby winner, is skipping the Preakness Stakes and heading straight for the Belmont instead. That means the 2026 Triple Crown is over before the second leg even starts. It also throws a spotlight back on a problem the sport keeps circling but not really fixing — the schedule may no longer fit how top horses are campaigned. ### Why is this such a big deal? The Preakness is the second leg of the Triple Crown, so when the Derby winner opts out, the whole chase disappears with him. Golden Tempo had just delivered the kind of Derby finish that makes people dream big — a last-to-first rally at Churchill Downs, at 23-1, in a race won by a nose. That made him the obvious center of the next two weeks. Now that center is gone. ### Why did Golden Tempo’s team skip it? Cherie DeVaux said the team wants to give Golden Tempo more time after a huge effort in the Derby. Basically, they looked at the traditional two-week turnaround to the Preakness and decided it was too quick. Instead, they’re aiming for the Belmontory on the line, more time to protect the horse and take another big swing later. ### Why does the calendar matter so much? The Triple Crown was built for a different era of racing, when top horses ran more often. Today, elite 3-year-olds are usually managed much more carefully. The Derby and Preakness are only two weeks apart, and that gap now looks brutal to ma feel like the more rational move, even if it kills the sport’s biggest narrative. ### Is this a one-off? Not really. Golden Tempo is now another Derby winner to bypass the Preakness in recent years, which is why this keeps turning into a structural debate instead of a one-day story. When the same decision keeps showing up, turns out it’s not just about one horse’s condition. It starts spacing and preservation. ### Why is Laurel Park part of the story? This year’s Preakness is being run at Laurel Park on May 16 rather than its usual home at Pimlico. That doesn’t explain Golden Tempo’s decision by itself, but it adds to the feeling that this year’s race is already a little unusual. The bigger issue is still the missing Derby winner, because that absence changes how casual fans and bettors see the whole event. ### What happens now? The Preakness goes on, but without a Triple Crown bid attached to it. That changes the sales pitch immediately. Instead of “Can this horse keep the dream alive?” the race becomes a more open contest among the rest of the 3-year-old crop. Golden Tempo, meanwhile, becomes a Belmont story — fresher, more rested, and still very much the horse everyone will be watching. ### So what’s the real takeaway? This isn’t just about one colt skipping one race. It’s about a sport whose most famous three-race sequence keeps colliding with modern horse management. Golden Tempo’s team made the conservative choice. But if that choice keeps looking smart, the calendar debate is only going to get louder.