DeVaux Defends Golden Tempo's Preakness Withdrawal, Targets Belmont After 2-Week Turnaround
Updated
Updated · Fox News · May 14
DeVaux Defends Golden Tempo's Preakness Withdrawal, Targets Belmont After 2-Week Turnaround
1 articles · Updated · Fox News · May 14
Golden Tempo will skip the Preakness despite being healthy, with trainer Cherie DeVaux saying the Kentucky Derby winner should not be pushed back into racing after only a 2-week break.
DeVaux said the decision was made with the owners after several days of discussion and was driven by the horse's full-season outlook, not a single Triple Crown bid.
The 44-year-old trainer called some backlash unfair, arguing fans overlook that horses are not "machines" and that not every Derby winner is suited to run again so quickly.
Belmont is now Golden Tempo's next target, DeVaux said, though this year's series is already atypical with the Preakness at Laurel and the Belmont at Saratoga instead of their usual tracks.
The withdrawal ends any Triple Crown chance for Golden Tempo, whose Derby victory made DeVaux the first female trainer to win that race.
A historic win, then a controversial exit. How will this trainer's choice change horse racing's greatest challenge?
With iconic tracks closed and top horses resting, is American horse racing's most famous series in crisis?