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Golden Tempo is not running in the Preakness Stakes after winning the Kentucky Derby, and trainer Cherie DeVaux said they are focused on the bigger picture.
DeVaux, 44, told Fox News Digital in a recent interview that most of the reactions to Golden Tempo not participating and missing out on a chance for the Triple Crown, have been positive. She did label the criticism about the decision to rest Golden Tempo as unfair.
“It’s been a mix of both, mostly positive. Which I appreciate, and I understand that fans of the sport or fans of the Triple Crown are disappointed, but the horse is not a machine,” DeVaux said.
“I have to advocate as the trainer to the owners or the clients, and we had a conversation, it wasn’t my decision. It was a decision we made as a group and I’m sorry if people don’t understand what goes into it. ‘Why enter the Derby if your not going to run the Triple Crown?’ Well, I think that’s unfair. We are not committing to this and they’re horses, like they’re animals, and they’re not just a car where you can go out and run them in two weeks. That’s not how it works, and unfortunately if you’re not going to understand, then I can’t help you.”
DeVaux said she honors the tradition of the Triple Crown, but they don’t want to push Golden Tempo too hard. The Saratoga Springs, New York, native called the decision a hard one.
“It’s hard, I do understand where others are coming from, but I do think it’s unfair the way that I have received some of the messages and what they’re saying, but whatever, they’re not in my position to train the horse and so therefore their opinion doesn’t matter to me,” DeVaux said.
CHERIE DEVAUX REFLECTS ON MAKING KENTUCKY DERBY HISTORY AS FIRST FEMALE TRAINER TO WIN THE RACE
They took a few days to let everything calm down before making a decision on Golden Tempo’s participation in the second leg of the Triple Crown. DeVaux said the horse is fine health-wise.
“We tried to let the dust settle on the whole weekend, and Golden Tempo is fine. But we think it takes a unique horse to be able to come back and run in two weeks. And we just didn’t feel like for him that was the responsible thing for his whole career, especially this year. We’re focused on a bigger picture than the Triple Crown,” DeVaux said.
“Even though the Kentucky Derby is the first leg of the Triple Crown, I’m always biased, where you can focus on the Triple Crown or you can focus on the year because it takes so much out of them. And we were speaking. We decided that it was his best interest to focus on the year, not just coming back in two weeks and then coming back in three weeks.”
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DeVaux said that the goal is for Golden Tempo to run at the Belmont. She also noted that this years Triple Crown is different from years prior.
“No, that is definitely our next goal and we’re pointing towards that,” DeVaux said. “Saratoga is great. My family lives up there, but I was actually looking forward to running him the mile and a half, you know, it’s different circumstances.”
“We’re running the Preakness at Laurel. We’re running the Belmont at Saratoga at a different distance. So, you know, it’s not the true Triple Crown layout that has been historic in the past couple years.”
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The Preakness Stakes are traditionally held at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, but are being held at Laurel Park due to renovations. The Belmont Stakes are normally held at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, but are being held at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York, due to renovations.
The Kentucky Derby was still held at Churchill Downs this year. DeVaux made history in Louisville, becoming the first female trainer to have a horse win the Kentucky Derby.
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