Preakness Uncertain as Derby Winner Golden Tempo Skips

Trainer Cherie DeVaux announced that Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo will not run in next Saturday’s Preakness at Laurel Park. It is the second consecutive year a Derby champion has bypassed the Preakness and the third time in the last five runnings.

DeVaux cited the short turnaround between the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness as a reason for the decision. The Preakness is scheduled two weeks after the Derby and three weeks before the Belmont Stakes. Trainers and owners increasingly favor at least a month between major starts, and recent drug rules from the industry’s regulator have made quick recoveries harder.

This year’s Preakness is set for Laurel Park while Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore undergoes a planned $400 million overhaul. Maryland lawmakers this week ordered a 45-day delay in the state’s planned purchase of Laurel Park and requested a review by the Maryland Stadium Authority. The state had been considering buying Laurel for $48.5 million to use as a year-round training facility after environmental concerns emerged over a previously bought 328-acre farm that cost $4.5 million.

State Treasurer Dereck Davis questioned the rationale for large public spending on racing, asking, “We can’t keep pouring massive amounts of dollars into this industry for the third weekend in May.” His remarks reflect increasing scrutiny among lawmakers over whether rebuilding Pimlico and funding related projects are appropriate uses of state funds.

Racing officials are discussing options including moving the Preakness to the first week of June and pushing the Belmont to July. A change would require approval for a new Belmont date from the New York Racing Association and could affect the start of the Saratoga summer meet, which traditionally begins in early July. Industry sources say a new television contract next year could provide a window to adjust the calendar.

The Preakness’ location and schedule have been contested before. In 2019 a proposal to close Pimlico and move the Preakness to a larger Laurel facility drew legal opposition from Baltimore officials. The last time a Kentucky Derby winner did not run in the Preakness under normal scheduling was 1922, when both races were held on the same day.

If Maryland officials do not resolve questions around Pimlico and Laurel, racing authorities will need to identify an alternate site for the Preakness or agree on a new Triple Crown schedule. Television contracts, the calendars of major meets and trainers’ preparation plans all require decisions well before next spring’s Kentucky Derby. For now, Golden Tempo’s absence and the state’s review of Laurel Park have left the Preakness’ immediate future unresolved.