Golden Tempo only Derby winner considering Preakness start at Laurel Park

Golden Tempo is the only Kentucky Derby winner currently on the Preakness radar, and that makes his next move the central question hanging over Laurel Park’s 151st running on May 16. Trainer Cherie DeVaux said Sunday morning that the Derby winner came out of the race in good order and will be considered for the middle jewel, but is not yet definite.

That hesitation matters because Golden Tempo is the lone horse carrying the Derby winner’s flag into the first real test of the post-Derby storyline. If he runs, the Preakness keeps a live Triple Crown thread alive, even if just barely. The last horse to complete the sweep was Justify in 2018, and every decision around Golden Tempo now carries that weight.

The race itself is being staged at Laurel Park in Laurel, Maryland, because Pimlico Race Course is closed for construction and undergoing redevelopment. The Black-Eyed Susan Stakes is set for Friday, May 15, and the Preakness post-position draw is scheduled for May 11. The field can max out at 14, which leaves room for a crowded and potentially volatile gate if several of the new names keep pointing toward Maryland.

Chip Honcho already made his intentions clear by skipping the Kentucky Derby with the Preakness in mind. He is one of the most credible challengers waiting in the wings, along with Iron Honor, Napoleon Solo and Silent Tactic. Other reported possibles include Cherokee Nation, Crupper, Express Kid, Great White, Ottinho, Pretty Boy Miah, Talkin and Talk to Me Jimmy, plus The Hell We Did.

That growing list is what gives this Preakness its edge. Golden Tempo may be the headline horse, but the race is not shaping up as a coronation. Renegade and Crude Velocity have also been mentioned by multiple experts as threats, and the arrival of new shooters could make the middle jewel far more competitive than a Derby winner-versus-rest setup usually suggests.

The Hell We Did added another layer when he arrived at Laurel Park after finishing second in the April 11 Lexington at Keeneland. That kind of late movement is exactly what can scramble the shape of a 14-horse Preakness, especially with the draw still ahead.

DeVaux’s position gives Golden Tempo’s decision extra significance beyond the track itself. After the Derby, she became the first female trainer to win the Kentucky Derby, and her next call will determine whether that breakthrough carries straight into the Preakness or leaves the door open for a fresh name to take over the spring narrative at Laurel Park.