Preakness watch: Pending decisions will shape the race

This is the 22nd installment of a weekly feature on Horse Racing Nation that tracks Triple Crown horses all the way through the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga. 

With only 11 days to go until the $2 million Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park, my top three contenders are listed as only possible for the big race. Pending decisions from the camps of Golden Tempo, Crude Velocity and Silent Tactic will be crucial in shaping this year’s middle jewel. 

The conversation has to begin with Golden Tempo. My top long shot for the run for the roses surprised many with a 23-1 victory in the nation’s most prestigious race, but he got everything he could have wanted as far as the pace setup in the Kentucky Derby. 

Strong and contentious early fractions in the 1 1/4-mile classic effectively set the table for his late run, and trainer Cherie DeVaux had the son of Curlin ready to roll after four progressively nice starts at Fair Grounds to begin his career. 

Credit also needs to be given to rider Jose Ortiz, who displayed a mountain of patience with Golden Tempo as the race unfolded in front of the pair. The rider, who had won the Kentucky Oaks (G1) the day before with Always a Runner, was content to be in last early and did not ask his talented mount to go too soon. 

When finally given his cue, Golden Tempo closed with an irresistible rush on the far outside to get by Renegade in the final strides and win the Kentucky Derby by a neck. Now having won three of five career starts, with a pair of thirds, it’s time to recognize the stretch runner as one of the best colts of the crop. 

DeVaux, who became the first female trainer to win the Kentucky Derby, has not yet made a decision on Golden Tempo’s Preakness status. Back at his home base of Keeneland, the strapping colt will need to show that he is feeling good after his big performance at Churchill Downs before his trainer would send him to Maryland and a chance at the first two legs of the Triple Crown. A strong early pace in the Preakness, which looks likely, once again would help his chances. 

Despite winning the Kentucky Derby, Golden Tempo likely would go off as only the second choice in the Preakness. The probable favorite for the middle jewel would be Crude Velocity. Trained by eight-time Preakness winner Bob Baffert, the son of Beau Liam has been sensational in his first three career starts. 

After overcoming plenty of trouble and a stubborn foe to win his career debut, Crude Velocity has overwhelmed his competition in his last two starts. He won a Santa Anita allowance by daylight in his second career start in very fast time and followed that with a big performance on Kentucky Derby day. 

Facing the previously unbeaten and highly talented Englishman, Crude Velocity got off to a slightly slow start in the Pat Day Mile (G2) but quickly found his footing and rushed into contention within a few strides out of the gate in the big field. 

Positioned in prime stalking position behind the impressive speed of Englishman, Crude Velocity made his move turning for home and eventually put his rival away down the Churchill Downs lane. The 3 3/4-length victory was nothing but impressive, and the final time of 1:33.87 matched the eye test. 

Baffert appears to be on the fence about whether to run his star back in two weeks, but if Crude Velocity is given the green light to start in the Preakness, it will be his first start beyond a mile. Never having run more than one turn in his first three starts, he will be tested for stamina in a field that could feature a testing pace. Still, his talent is unmistakable, and he will be a major threat in his Grade 1 debut. 

Like Golden Tempo and Crude Velocity, Silent Tactic is not a sure thing to run in the Preakness. Fighting a foot problem, the son of Tacitus was said not to be at his absolute best when he finished second in the Arkansas Derby (G1). That result was flattered when the winner, Renegade, followed it up with a big performance in the Kentucky Derby. 

Trained by Mark Casse, Silent Tactic was a mid-week scratch from the Kentucky Derby when the problem resurfaced at the wrong time. Casse believes the graded-stakes winner could have run by the time Saturday afternoon rolled around, but he could take no chances when the problem resurfaced a few days before the run for the roses. 

A confirmed stretch runner, Silent Tactic has finished in the top two in six career starts and was an eye-catching winner of the Southwest Stakes (G3) three starts back. After beginning his career in promising fashion as a juvenile at Woodbine, the bay colt ran in all four Kentucky Derby preps at Oaklawn, with a win and three second-place finishes. 

Like Golden Tempo, a strong early pace would be beneficial to Silent Tactic in the 1 3/16-mile Preakness. A decision on his participation in the middle jewel will come after a workout this week. If he does run, he will be a serious candidate for top honors. Casse won the Preakness in 2019 with War of Will. 

Others candidates for what should be a large Preakness field include Cherokee Nation, Chip Honcho, Crupper, Express Kid, Great White, Iron Honor, Napoleon Solo, Potente, Pretty Boy Miah, Taj Mahal, Talkin and The Hell We Did.