Preakness 2026: 15 possibles join Golden Tempo at Laurel
Cherie DeVaux is weighing whether to send Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo to Preakness 2026 on May 16 at Laurel Park, which hosts the second leg of the Triple Crown for the first time as historic Pimlico undergoes reconstruction. Up to 14 starters will line up when the field is set Monday, May 11.
DeVaux, who on Saturday became the first female trainer to win the Kentucky Derby with Golden Tempo's neck decision over Renegade, said the Preakness "is on the table" but she needs time to see how the colt is doing before any decision is made.
"Obviously this race is in two weeks," DeVaux said of the 1 3/16-mile Preakness as she spoke with reporters Sunday morning outside her Churchill Downs barn. "It's a lot different than what he's done. He's a horse who has a lot of constitution to him. He can handle something like that. But if one day he just doesn't look like he's in tiptop shape, then we'll pivot and come up with another plan."
Mike Rogers, executive vice president of 1/ST Racing, made the traditional Sunday morning phone call to formally invite the Derby winner and his connections to the middle jewel of the Triple Crown.
Golden Tempo made his fifth career start in the Kentucky Derby, which came six weeks after he finished third by a total of one length in the Louisiana Derby (G2).
"He's going to leave for Keeneland," said DeVaux, whose main string is at Keeneland in Lexington and who also operates a satellite division at Churchill Downs. "We'll get him back there and assess how he's doing. As long as he's in tiptop shape, we'll talk about [the Preakness]. It is on the table. But it's really up to him."
No female trainer has won the Preakness. The closest finish came from Maryland-based Nancy Alberts, second in 2002 with Magic Weisner. Shelley Riley placed third in the 1992 Preakness with Casual Lies; her runner-up finish at Churchill Downs had been the best Kentucky Derby finish for a female trainer prior to DeVaux's breakthrough Saturday.
The last 14-horse Preakness came in 2011, won by Shackleford.
Taj Mahal, The Hell We Did already at Laurel
Two horses under Preakness consideration have settled in at Laurel, Taj Mahal and The Hell We Did, who both breezed over the main track Saturday. Taj Mahal owns a perfect 3: 3-0-0 record, all at Laurel and two of them in stakes, including the 1 1/8-mile Federico Tesio on April 18 that earned the Brittany Russell-trained colt an automatic Preakness berth.
The Hell We Did has raced at four different racetracks in as many starts and most recently finished second in the April 11 Lexington (G3) at Keeneland, his two-turn debut. Trained by Todd Fincher, he shipped from Kentucky to Maryland on Tuesday.
Other possible Preakness starters include Cherokee Nation, Chip Honcho, Crude Velocity, Crupper, Express Kid, Great White, Iron Honor, Napoleon Solo, Ottinho, Pretty Boy Miah, Silent Tactic, Talkin and Talk to Me Jimmy.
Crude Velocity, runaway winner of the Pat Day Mile (G2) Saturday at Churchill, and Cherokee Nation are each trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, who owns a record eight Preakness victories. Risen Star (G2) runner-up Chip Honcho is trained by fellow National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame member Steve Asmussen, a two-time Preakness winner with Curlin – the sire of Golden Tempo – in 2007 and filly Rachel Alexandra in 2009.
Chad Brown, who trains Gotham (G3) winner Iron Honor and Blue Grass (G1) runner-up Ottinho, won the Preakness with Cloud Computing in 2017 and Early Voting in 2022. Like Taj Mahal, Donnie Von Hemel-trained Crupper earned an automatic spot in the Preakness for his win in the 1 1/8-mile Bathhouse Row on April 18 at Oaklawn. Express Kid has not raced since finishing second in the Sunland Derby on Feb. 15.
John Battaglia winner Great White was scratched from the Derby after flipping behind the starting gate as horses were being loaded. Napoleon Solo is winless in two starts this year since taking the Champagne (G1) last fall at Aqueduct. Southwest (G3) winner Silent Tactic, second to Derby runner-up Renegade in the Arkansas Derby (G1), was withdrawn from the Derby three days before the race with a minor foot issue and immediately pointed to the Preakness by Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse, who took the race with War of Will in 2019.
Talkin finished second in the Champagne and third in the Blue Grass for trainer Danny Gargan. Jeremiah Englehart-trained Pretty Boy Miah has won back-to-back starts at Aqueduct, the latter going one mile on April 25. Also based in New York with trainer Rudy Rodriguez, Talk to Me Jimmy won the 1 1/8-mile Withers on Feb. 6 before finishing eighth in the Wood.
Preakness decision on Silent Tactic hinges on next work
Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse said Silent Tactic, scratched from the Derby with a minor foot ailment, is doing well, but a decision on whether to run in the Preakness will hinge on a midweek workout.
"He's actually great," Casse said by phone Sunday morning. "I want to see how he trains for a couple of days. If we're happy with his foot, we'll probably breeze him mid-week and then make a decision. Right now his foot is perfect — of course."
Casse said the foot issue was part bruise and part a tiny separation in the hoof wall.
"He has a little separation in the wall, but it actually looked pretty good when we pulled the shoe off," he said. "He's just kind of tender all over his left foot. We put a pad over it, just to try to give it a little relief for a few days. That's really seemed to help him."
Casse said he wants to run in the Preakness, a race he won in 2019 with War of Will, but only if he is "100 percent happy" with Silent Tactic's foot.
"He could have run yesterday," Casse said of the Derby. "But we ended up missing a day or two [of training] and it wasn't a race I wanted to go into not being 100 percent comfortable. So we just opted to scratch, change the shoe and it seemed to help. We'll just see how he trains the next couple of days."
Silent Tactic was the only horse to run in all four Derby points races at Oaklawn, with three seconds and a win. He finished second by a nose in the Rebel (G2) before placing second in the Arkansas Derby won by Kentucky Derby runner-up Renegade.
"As it turned out, the race would have set up very nice for us as well, the closer that he is," Casse said. "That's what could have been, but it didn't. Can't worry about it. But it was nice to see Renegade show up and run so well."
St. Elias Stable could have a pair of Preakness starters
With no decision made on running Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo in the 151st Preakness, co-owner St. Elias Stable also has a horse targeting the middle jewel of the Triple Crown in Gotham winner Iron Honor.
A $475,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase, Iron Honor finished seventh in the Wood Memorial (G2), losing by a total of 4 1/4 lengths. St. Elias racing and bloodstock manager Monique Delk said Iron Honor is a go for the Preakness as long as he continues to train well.
"He's a nice, nice horse," Delk said. "He kind of had a tough trip in the Wood, got banged up a bit, so we wanted to give him some extra time. [Trainer] Chad [Brown] opted to skip the Derby with the potential target being the Preakness. If all stays well and the horse takes us there, that's where he'll be headed."
Vinnie and Teresa Viola's St. Elias Stable races Iron Honor in partnership with William H. Lawrence and Glassman Racing. Brown won the Preakness in 2022 with Early Voting and 2017 with Cloud Computing.
Contenders for Preakness 2026 at Laurel Park
Golden Tempo — Kentucky Derby winner
Cherokee Nation — This $1.15 million yearling finished sixth on April 4 in the Santa Anita Derby (G1). Bob Baffert, who has won the Preakness eight times, trains.
Chip Honcho — This son of Connect would make his first start since finishing fifth on March 21 in the Louisiana Derby (G2). He placed second in the Risen Star (G2) in February. Steve Asmussen, who won the 2007 Preakness with Curlin, trains.
Crude Velocity — The son of Beau Liam was impressive winning the Pat Day Mile (G2) Saturday at Churchill Downs. Baffert trains this lightly raced colt who is undefeated in three starts.
Crupper — This homebred son of Candy Ride earned a free trip to the Preakness after winning the "Win & In" Bathhouse Row on April 18 at Oaklawn. Donnie Von Hemel trains.
Express Kid — This son of Bodexpress has raced at Canterbury, Prairie Meadows, Remington and Sunland. Trainer Justin Evans saddled the colt to a second-place finish on Feb. 15 in the Sunland Derby. That was his last start.
Great White — Scratched at the starting gate of Saturday's Kentucky Derby after throwing his rider, he finished fifth in the Blue Grass (G1) in his last start on April 4. John Ennis trains.
Iron Honor — Two-time Preakness winner Chad Brown saddles this $475,000 son of Nyquist who won the Gotham (G3) in February and finished seventh in the Wood Memorial (G2) in his last start.
Napoleon Solo — He won the Champagne (G1) at 2 and has finished fifth this year in the Fountain of Youth (G2) and Wood Memorial. Chad Summers trains.
Ottinho — Another Chad Brown-trained colt, who finished second in the Blue Grass. In February the son of Quality Road placed third in the Withers.
Pretty Boy Miah — This 3-year-old gelding has won two of four starts for trainer Jeremiah Englehart, who spoke of coming to the Preakness after the gelding won a starter optional claimer at Aqueduct on April 25.
Silent Tactic — Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse was forced to scratch from the Derby due to a foot ailment. This son of Tacitus won the Southwest (G3) and finished second in the Rebel (G2) and Arkansas Derby (G1).
Taj Mahal — Trained by Maryland's leading trainer Brittany Russell, this $525,000 son of Nyquist is undefeated in three races, including an 8 1/4-length win on April 18 at Laurel in the Tesio, a "Win & In" for the Preakness.
Talkin — He would enter the Preakness off a fifth-place finish on April 4 in the Blue Grass. He also placed fifth in March in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3). Danny Gargan trains.
Talk to Me Jimmy — Trainer Rudy Rodriguez would saddle this New York-bred son of Modernist. The colt won the Withers but finished eighth in the Wood Memorial.
The Hell We Did — This homebred has two wins and two seconds in four starts. He finished second in his last start on April 11 at Keeneland in the Lexington (G3). Todd Fincher trains.