The Triple Crown conversation is over before it started. Trainer Cherie DeVaux made it official on Wednesday morning: Golden Tempo will bypass the 2026 Preakness Stakes and instead point toward the June 6 Belmont Stakes. DeVaux was direct about it, saying the horse gave everything he had at Churchill Downs, and the connections want to give him proper time to recover before asking him to do it again.
You cannot argue with that logic. The two-week turnaround between the Derby and the Preakness has always been a debate point, and after watching Sovereignty take the same route in 2025 and win the Belmont, DeVaux has a clear blueprint in front of her. The horse comes first. The calendar does not always cooperate with that, and she is choosing not to force it.
What that means for bettors is simple: the Preakness Stakes just became a genuinely wide-open race. No dominant Kentucky Derby winner looming over the field. No chalk with a 152nd Derby under his belt. This is a fresh field, and fresh fields create value. Let's break down what we are looking at.
With Golden Tempo officially out, here is where the morning line sits and how the contenders stack up heading into Laurel Park.
| Horse | Trainer | ML Odds | Running Style | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crude Velocity | Bob Baffert | 4-1 | Presser/Stalker | New ML favorite post-Golden Tempo scratch |
| Taj Mahal | Brittany Russell | 20-1 | Closer | Unbeaten at Laurel Park, top value angle |
| Silent Tactic | Mark Casse | 25-1 | Closer | Drawing sharp attention at long price |
Track records, full past performances, and updated entries are available at BUSR, which is always your cleanest source for verified PP data heading into a race like this.
Here is the thing about a field that did not run in the Derby. These horses are fresh. Some of them have been pointing specifically to the Preakness distance and surface. That means you could see a pace meltdown, or you could see a wire-to-wire performance from a horse that got a perfect setup because nobody pressured him early.
Crude Velocity fits the presser profile under Baffert. That barn knows how to train a horse for this exact scenario: bypass the Derby chaos, show up fresh at the second jewel, and run a controlled pace from a stalking position. Baffert has won this race before with that exact trip. If Crude Velocity gets a clean trip in the first turn and sits two or three lengths off whatever speed shows up, he is going to be very hard to beat at 4-1.
That said, 4-1 is chalk money. Baffert horses at Laurel Park at 4-1 in a Grade 1 are the kind of price that wins your bet but does not change your bankroll. If you are playing to win, fine. If you are building exotics, you need something longer.
Taj Mahal is that something. Brittany Russell trains horses for that track the way some trainers train horses for Keeneland. She understands the Laurel surface, she knows the angles, and she is not sending this horse to the second jewel as a throwaway. An unbeaten record at the track where the race is being run is not a coincidence. It is a tell. At 20-1, Taj Mahal is the kind of horse you use to build a ticket around.
You can also look at prep race form from events like the Withers Stakes, the Spiral Stakes, and the Fair Grounds Stakes to identify horses who have been pointing here all spring. Those prep lines matter a lot when the Derby winner is not in the field to dominate the conversation.
Without a dominant favorite at short odds, this is the kind of Preakness where the exotic wagers can pay. Here is how to think about constructing your tickets.
Exacta Wheel: Use Crude Velocity on top, key Taj Mahal and Silent Tactic underneath. A $2 exacta wheel with one horse on top over two runners costs $4. If Crude Velocity wins and either longshot closes for second, you are looking at a significant exacta return given those morning line prices.
Trifecta Box: Box Crude Velocity, Taj Mahal, and Silent Tactic in a $1 trifecta. Three horses in a box at $1 runs you $6. In a field this open, hitting a trifecta with two longshots in the frame pays very well.
Superfecta: Add one more horse to your trifecta box and run a $0.10 superfecta. Four horses at $0.10 cost $2.40. This is your lottery ticket in a race where the chalk wins and two double-digit shots land in the exotics.
Check current Preakness odds before you finalize anything. Morning lines shift. A horse that opens at 20-1 and gets bet down to 12-1 is telling you something. A horse that drifts from 12-1 to 18-1 is telling you something else. Watch those movements on race day.
Full Preakness betting options and a complete look at Preakness contenders are up at US Racing. Do your homework before you finalize the ticket. Also, keep an eye on the race of the week card and the Triple Crown bonus if you are playing the series across all three races.
"Golden Tempo skips the Preakness — DeVaux: 'Golden gave us the race of a lifetime in the Kentucky Derby, and we believe the best decision for him is to give him more time.' #GoldenTempo #Preakness2026"
"Not surprised at all. Sovereignty did the same thing last year and won the Belmont. DeVaux is being smart here — why risk the horse on a 2-week turnaround? Crude Velocity just became the horse to beat at Laurel Park."
"Taj Mahal at 20-1 is the play. Undefeated at Laurel Park, trained by Brittany Russell who knows that track better than anyone. Crude Velocity is the chalk but I'm looking for value."
Follow the live reaction on X and Reddit as the Preakness field takes final shape.
Trainer Cherie DeVaux cited the horse's health and long-term future as the primary reasons. She noted that Golden Tempo gave everything he had in the Kentucky Derby and that the connections believe giving him more time before his next start is the right call. The June 6 Belmont Stakes is the target.
Bob Baffert-trained Crude Velocity moved to the 4-1 morning line favorite following Golden Tempo's official withdrawal. Taj Mahal at 20-1 and Silent Tactic at 25-1 have both drawn serious attention from handicappers looking past the chalk for real value in an open field.
You can find current Preakness odds, full Preakness contenders, and all Preakness betting options at US Racing. New players can get $1,000 Cash at BUSR and up to 10% Rebates when they sign up at USRacing.com.
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
