With the first jewel of the Triple Crown in the books, the field for the 151st Preakness Stakes (G1) is shaping up to be quite large May 16 despite the lack of interest from contenders who raced in the May 2 Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs.
Of those 18 colts, only Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo appeared to be under consideration for the Triple Crown's middle jewel, held at Laurel Park this year as Pimlico Race Course undergoes a rebuild. Although recent years have shown that Derby connections can change their mind based on the complexion of the field and how their horse exits the Derby. Horses like Catching Freedom in 2024 and Sandman in 2025 were not originally in consideration for the Preakness in the days after the Derby, but came on the radar as the week progressed. Both horses would finish third.
Trainer Cherie DeVaux shipped Golden Tempo back to her home base of Keeneland the morning of May 3 and said that his upcoming training will be what ultimately determines whether the Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stables homebred will make an attempt to become racing's 14th Triple Crown winner.
"He needs to be doing as well in the next two weeks as he was going into (the Derby)," DeVaux said. "He just needs to be healthy, be sound, be happy, have good energy."
READ: DeVaux to Take Wait-And-See Approach With Golden Tempo
There are several familiar names from the Derby trail on tap for the Preakness. The Maryland Jockey Club listed 16 horses, including Golden Tempo, as possibilities for the 1 3/16-mile classic. The Preakness is limited to 14 starters.
Among these possibilities are Silent Tactic, who scratched from the Derby with a foot bruise April 29, and Great White, who scratched at the gate of the Derby after rearing and falling.
READ: Great White Doing Well After Flipping, Derby Scratch
Other Preakness possibles are horses who qualified for the Derby but opted to skip to focus on the Preakness. Gun Runner Stakes winner and Risen Star Stakes (G2) runner-up Chip Honcho worked a bullet 5 furlongs in 1:00 Derby morning for Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, who said Sunday morning the Preakness remains the target.
Trainer Chad Brown sent Blue Grass Stakes (G1) runner-up Ottinho out for a half-mile breeze in :52 4/5 May 1 at Churchill Downs and Gotham Stakes (G3) winner Iron Honor at Belmont Park for a half-mile move in :48.85 on Saturday.
Also working at Belmont Saturday was Champagne Stakes (G1) winner Napoleon Solo for trainer Chad Summers. The Liam's Map colt went 6 furlongs in 1:10 over the dirt training track. Summers said Sunday morning he expects to breeze the horse one more time in New York this weekend before shipping to Laurel May 10.
With more qualifying points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby than Ocelli and Robusta, it turned out that Gold Square's Napoleon Solo would have been able to draw in off the also-eligible list in the Derby had he been entered. Summers was at Churchill Downs throughout the weekend.
"You go to the Derby, and you kind of have that moment when there's an 18-horse field, and you wish you were here," Summers said. "But we think he deserves the opportunity to run in the Preakness, and we look forward to seeing who's going to show up."
The son of Liam's Map has finished fifth in both grade 2 starts this year, most recently in the April 4 Wood Memorial (G2) after setting the pace.
"I think there's no secret that he has a lot of speed, but there's some other speed horses signed up," Summers said. "We'll be interested to see what Bob Baffert does with Crude Velocity."
Crude Velocity will likely be among the leading choices for the Preakness should he run after extending his unbeaten record to three following a dominant score in the Pat Day Mile (G2) on the Derby undercard. Baffert did not commit to the Preakness in the winner's circle, but CSLR Racing Partners' Bill Childs told the Thoroughbred Daily News ahead of the Pat Day Mile that they would next target the Preakness. Baffert also trains Preakness possible Cherokee Nation, who last finished sixth in the April 4 Santa Anita Derby (G1).
Two Preakness runners are already onsite at Laurel Park, and both breezed Saturday. Locally-based Taj Mahal recorded 5 furlongs in a bullet 1:00 2/5 for trainer Brittany Russell in his first work since winning the April 18 Federico Tesio Stakes. Lexington Stakes (G3) runner-up The Hell We Did went the same distance in 1:00 3/5 for trainer Todd Fincher in his first move over the Laurel surface.
Other possible runners include Bathhouse Row Stakes winner Crupper; Springboard Mile winner Express Kid; Pretty Boy Miah, who won a starter optional claiming at Aqueduct Racetrack April 25; dual grade 1-placed Talkin, and Withers Stakes winner Talk to Me Jimmy.
Preakness Not in Plans for Renegade, Ocelli
Golden Tempo's rematch with Derby runner-up Renegade would have to wait until the June 6 Belmont Stakes (G1), at the earliest, as Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said Repole Stable and Robert and Lawana Low's colt is not under Preakness consideration.
"The horse is in good shape this morning. Thankfully, he came out of it unscathed," Pletcher said of the Into Mischief colt's rough trip breaking from the rail. "He'll head to Saratoga on Tuesday, and then we'll assess how he's doing. Play (the Belmont) by ear."
Trainer Whit Beckman also reported that Derby third-place finisher Ocelli is likely not to pursue the remainder of the Triple Crown even though he emerged from the race well. Racing for Ashley Durr, Anthony Tate, and Front Page Equestrian, Ocelli is still a maiden, leaving the door open to many potential racing options.
"I just don't see what the incentive is for us at this point to go out there (to the Preakness)," Beckman said. "It's back so quick, and we got a long year of plenty of prestigious races that we could target. My initial thought, just based off how he's trained here and how he's run here, maybe the Matt Winn or a maiden race."
From 1937 to the present, which is the timeframe Churchill Downs has complete records for all their starters, Ocelli is the only maiden to hit the board. Broker's Tip won the Derby as a maiden in 1933—the only race he ever won—as did Triple Crown winner Sir Barton (1919) and Buchanan (1884).
Over 1 1/16 miles, the $500,000 Matt Winn Stakes (G3) takes place at Churchill Downs June 7.
"Just let him get a little bit of a breather here, and then hopefully campaign toward something big...like the Travers or something like that," Beckman said.
Like Renegade, fourth-place finisher Chief Wallabee is expected to ship to Saratoga Race Course in the coming days. Plans are yet to be determined for Mike and Kay Kay Ball's son of Constitution , but unsurprisingly, the Preakness is not in those plans. Chief Wallabee's Hall of Fame trainer, Bill Mott, skipped last year's Preakness with Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty, who would go on to win the Belmont Stakes (G1).
"Nobody talks about the Preakness," Mott told Churchill Downs publicity Sunday. "The Belmont at Saratoga; we need to discuss that. Kay Kay was thrilled with the way he ran yesterday. He has done a lot since the first of the year."
