Which Kentucky Derby horses are running in the 2026 Preakness Stakes?
Three horses from the Kentucky Derby field will run in the Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park on May 16.
Golden Tempo won the Kentucky Derby . He won’t be at the Preakness . And that’s becoming a familiar story.
This marks the second straight year and the third time in five years that the Derby winner has decided not to compete in the Preakness Stakes despite having a healthy horse. The reason is almost always the same: two weeks isn’t enough time. Trainer Cherie DeVaux made the call quickly after Golden Tempo’s dramatic last-to-first Derby victory on May 2.
"Golden gave us the race of a lifetime," DeVaux said in a statement. "We believe the best decision for him moving forward is to give him a little more time following such a tremendous effort. " DeVaux and Golden Tempo are focused on the June 6 Belmont Stakes instead.
The pattern is pretty clear. From 1997 to 2018, every Kentucky Derby winner ran the Preakness, keeping the Triple Crown path intact. That streak ended with Country House, who won the Derby on the disqualification of Maximum Security, was scratched from the Preakness.