The team behind the Kentucky Derby champion, Golden Tempo, will make a decision by the end of this week on whether he will participate in the Preakness race scheduled for May 16.
As of Sunday morning, Golden Tempo had returned to his home base at trainer Cherie DeVaux’s barn at Keeneland.
DeVaux, the first woman to win a Kentucky Derby in its 152-year history, was flown to New York by NBC on Monday to make an appearance on the Today Show.
“We are closely monitoring his recovery from the race,” she said. “He will have a few easy days to rest. He’s probably resting as we speak. We hope to make a decision by the end of the week.”
DeVaux has plans to send Golden Tempo, who was a 23-1 long shot in the Derby, for a light jog on Wednesday and Thursday before he resumes galloping.
During her appearance on the Dan Patrick Show on Tuesday, DeVaux mentioned that one of the factors influencing the Preakness decision is the reduction in distance from a mile and a quarter to a mile and three-sixteenths. Golden Tempo, who made a remarkable comeback from last place to win the 19-horse Derby, had previously finished third at the Preakness distance in the Louisiana Derby just before the Kentucky Derby.
Despite the intimidating presence of Golden Tempo, other competitors are not backing down.
As of Monday, the teams of 16 other horses were contemplating participating in the second leg of the Triple Crown.
Among them are two Derby participants, third-place finisher Ocelli and the Bob Baffert-trained Potente, who finished 12th.
Baffert also has Crude Velocity, who had an impressive win in the Grade II Pat Day Mile on the Derby undercard, and Cherokee Nation.
On Tuesday, trainer Whit Beckman upgraded Ocelli’s chances for the Preakness from “extremely unlikely” on Sunday to “maybe.”
“From a pace perspective, the race could be as fast as the Derby,” Beckman told the Preakness notes team. “He’s in great shape. That’s the only reason I’m saying ‘Yeah, maybe.’ The horse is doing fantastic. He’s as tough as iron. Usually, after a race, a horse may not come to the front of their stall for a week. He was right there.”
Ocelli entered the Derby without a single win in six starts, including a third place in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct.
“I’m sure people were thinking, ‘Why is he entering a maiden?’” Beckman said. “But they don’t see what I see every day. They don’t see a horse that is eager and trains like a beast. The development of these 3-year-olds is often overlooked. You can’t predict who will be the best 3-year-old on the first Saturday in May, compared to horses peaking in March and April.”
Great White, a long shot who made it to the Derby due to scratches, was himself a late scratch after flipping over onto his back behind the starting gate as horses were loading. However, he emerged from the incident unscathed, according to trainer John Ennis, and is being considered for the Preakness.
Other potential participants include the Mark Casse-trained Silent Tactic, who was entered in the Derby but was scratched in the days leading up to the race due to a bruised foot.
Corona de Oro, Chip Honcho, Napoleon Solo, Iron Honor, Federico Tesio winner Taj Mahal, Crupper, Express Kid, The Hell We Did, Talkin and Pretty Boy Miah are also among the Preakness potentials.
Corona de Oro was an also-eligible for the Derby, but there weren’t enough pre-race scratches to get him into the field.
The Preakness can only accommodate 14 starters, with room for two also-eligibles who could enter the field via scratches.
The Preakness will take place at Laurel Park in Maryland while Pimlico Race Course undergoes reconstruction.
Agree with the possible inclusion of Golden Tempo in the Preakness race.
I agree with adding Golden Tempo to the Preakness race lineup. It would be exciting to see how they perform against the competition.
I agree with adding Golden Tempo to the Preakness race lineup. It would be thrilling to see how they stack up against the competition.
https://shorturl.fm/ZHrD3