Decision Means There Will Be No Triple Crown Winner in 2026

Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo will not make a run at the Triple Crown this year. Trainer Cherie DeVaux said Wednesday that the colt will bypass the Preakness Stakes on May 16, the second leg of the series, though the Belmont Stakes on June 6 remains a possibility, NBC News reports. Golden Tempo closed from behind on Saturday to win the 152nd Derby in a late surge at Churchill Downs in Louisville. DeVaux, the first woman to train a Kentucky Derby winner, emphasized that the horse's condition was the deciding factor.

"Golden gave us the race of a lifetime in the Kentucky Derby, and we believe the best decision for him moving forward is to give him a little more time following such a tremendous effort," she said in a statement, adding that his "health, happiness, and long-term future" are the priority. On Tuesday, she told reporters she was closely monitoring Golden Tempo's energy and movement in light training and stressed that "the horse comes first" despite the allure of Triple Crown history.

Golden Tempo's absence guarantees there will be no Triple Crown winner for the eighth straight year. Many trainers and owners believe the two-week break between the first two legs is insufficient; most top thoroughbreds typically go at least a month between races, per the AP. None of the 18 horses in the Derby are competing in the Preakness.