Golden Tempo Skipping Preakness: Who Benefits Most?

Though trainer Cherie DeVaux considered her decision for a few days after the Kentucky Derby on May 2 at Churchill Downs, she ultimately decided to skip the Preakness Stakes on May 16 at Laurel Park with Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo. Citing a desire to give Golden Tempo more time, and to prioritize her horse’s health and long-term future, she chose to skip the middle jewel of the Triple Crown with him. Instead of preparing him to run again after just a two-week gap, DeVaux is instead taking him to Saratoga, giving him five weeks between races, and bringing him back for the Belmont Stakes on June 6.

More than anything, the betting public benefits from the Kentucky Derby winner deciding to bypass the Preakness Stakes because of the increased chance at a competitive race and big exotic payouts. The presence of the Derby winner in the second jewel of horse racing’s Triple Crown can be a deterrent to other horses entering – after all, if a horse wins the Kentucky Derby, they have proven to have classic-level ability and stamina, and if he holds his form on the third Saturday in May, then he will be tough competition. But, without the Derby winner continuing his Triple Crown run, fewer horses get scared off – leading to the possibility of a wide-open race.

However, there are also a few horses who can benefit from the defection of Golden Tempo just because there will be less competition to pick up the pieces of a rollicking pace in the late stages.

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Preakness Stakes Field and Morning-Line Odds

A wide-open race is exactly what came together Monday, May 11, at the Preakness Stakes draw at Laurel Park. (The second leg of the Triple Crown is being run there this year while construction continues at Pimlico Race Course; it will return to its traditional home next year.) 14 horses, the maximum allowed in the main field, were entered for the Preakness.

In a sense, everyone in the Preakness Stakes has class to prove – only Napoleon Solo is a Grade 1 winner, and he still has to prove he is as good at age three as he was at two. Just two others, Talkin and Ocelli, are Grade 1 placed, and Ocelli missed by a length in the Kentucky Derby as a maiden.

This is the official draw for the 2026 Preakness Stakes, including post positions, trainers, jockeys, and morning-line odds:

Does a Horse Benefit from Golden Tempo’s Absence?

Sometimes, the defection of a Kentucky Derby winner from the Preakness Stakes can help one or more runners from a pace perspective. This is particularly true if the horse being taken out of the middle Triple Crown race has a lot of early speed, which could mean less competition for another speed horse in the race.

However, Golden Tempo is a confirmed closer. He has never shown any early speed, and is content to let a hot pace unfold in front of him and pick them all up down the lane. With a lot of early speed entered in the Preakness Stakes, the setup looks much like the previous race in the Triple Crown schedule – fast early, and open for a late-running horse to pick up the pieces late.

If anything, the choice not to run Golden Tempo on two weeks’ rest benefits other closers in the Preakness Stakes, because it means there’s one less in-form horse there to outfinish him at Laurel Park. That includes Ocelli, the third-place finisher from the Kentucky Derby who led late but was narrowly outfinished by Golden Tempo and Renegade at Churchill Downs. Incredibolt doesn’t always drop as far back as he did in the Kentucky Derby, but his range of pace versatility includes the ability to work a closing trip. The other real closer in the race is Bull by the Horns, who needs a serious step up from any of his previous races to be a contender, but showed the right running style when winning the Rushaway at Turfway Park on March 21.

One other possible closer, though he is much less likely to show a closing style than Ocelli, Incredibolt, or Bull by the Horns, is The Hell We Did. He battled on the pace last out in the Lexington (G2), but two back in a sprint allowance at Sunland Park, he settled well off the early pace and blew the field away in the lane. Whether he can alter his running style to show that dimension in a route race, especially under aggressive rider Luis Saez, is a question. But, that possibility is worth noting, especially since staying out of such a contested pace looks like the key to success.

What are the Preakness best bets and picks for 2026?

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.