Why Kentucky Derby Winners Keep Skipping the Preakness

The New York Times reported Thursday that the Kentucky Derby Preakness skip has become the dominant pattern in American horse racing, with this year’s Derby champion Golden Tempo becoming the latest to bypass Saturday’s second leg of the Triple Crown.

A Record of Retreat From the Triple Crown

Trainer Cherie DeVaux told The New York Times that the two-week gap between the Derby and the Preakness is the central obstacle. She said Golden Tempo would have needed to emerge from Churchill Downs in exceptional shape. That simply was not the case.

The numbers are stark. From 1997 through 2018, every Kentucky Derby winner lined up at Pimlico. Since 2019, Derby winners have skipped the Preakness more often than not. Saturday marks the sixth time in eight years that no Derby winner will chase a Triple Crown.

DeVaux acknowledged the historic weight of the achievement. She described the Triple Crown as a genuine test of champions. But she said she has never in her career started a horse on such short rest. Golden Tempo did not clear that bar.

How Modern Racing Bred a Different Horse

The sport itself has changed around the calendar. Horse racing contributor Teresa Genaro noted in the same piece that U.S. dirt racing now rewards raw speed over stamina. Bloodlines, auction prices, and race distances have all shifted in that direction over recent decades.

Early Triple Crown winners raced the Derby and Preakness just four to seven days apart. That would be unthinkable under current conditions. The modern industry runs horses roughly once a month, making a two-week return feel aggressive by comparison.

Tighter Oversight Adds Another Layer

Regulatory scrutiny has also tightened considerably, DeVaux explained. Veterinary oversight is now far stricter than in previous eras. Treatments that were once permitted under the rules for a sore horse are no longer allowed within that compressed window.

She stopped short of criticizing the regulators directly. She acknowledged the pendulum has swung hard toward restriction. But she said the stricter environment makes it materially harder to prepare a horse that needs any support between two major races.

Three Derby runners — Ocelli, Robusta, and Incredibolt — will still take their chances Saturday, showing the race is not without competitive depth. The absence of Golden Tempo, however, means American racing’s most storied prize remains out of reach for another year.

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