Golden Tempo trainer Cherie DeVaux calls criticism of Preakness decision unfair: 'The horse is not a machine'

Golden Tempo is not moving successful the Preakness Stakes aft winning the Kentucky Derby, and trainer Cherie DeVaux said they are focused connected the bigger picture.

DeVaux, 44, told Fox News Digital successful a caller interrogation that astir of the reactions to Golden Tempo not participating and missing retired connected a accidental for the Triple Crown, person been positive. She did statement the disapproval astir the determination to remainder Golden Tempo arsenic unfair.

"It's been a premix of both, mostly positive. Which I appreciate, and I recognize that fans of the athletics oregon fans of the Triple Crown are disappointed, but the equine is not a machine," DeVaux said.

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Trainer Cherie DeVaux stands extracurricular a barn aft a workout astatine Churchill Downs successful Louisville, Kentucky, connected April 27, 2026. (Charlie Riedel/AP Photo)

"I person to advocator arsenic the trainer to the owners oregon the clients, and we had a conversation, it wasn't my decision. It was a determination we made arsenic a radical and I'm atrocious if radical don't recognize what goes into it. ‘Why participate the Derby if your not going to tally the Triple Crown?’ Well, I deliberation that’s unfair. We are not committing to this and they're horses, similar they're animals, and they're not conscionable a car wherever you tin spell retired and tally them successful 2 weeks. That’s not however it works, and unluckily if you’re not going to understand, past I can’t assistance you."

DeVaux said she honors the contented of the Triple Crown, but they don’t privation to propulsion Golden Tempo excessively hard. The Saratoga Springs, New York, autochthonal called the determination a hard one.

"It’s hard, I bash recognize wherever others are coming from, but I bash deliberation it's unfair the mode that I person received immoderate of the messages and what they're saying, but whatever, they're not successful my presumption to bid the equine and truthful so their sentiment doesn't substance to me," DeVaux said.

CHERIE DEVAUX REFLECTS ON MAKING KENTUCKY DERBY HISTORY AS FIRST FEMALE TRAINER TO WIN THE RACE

Cherie DeVaux, trainer of Golden Tempo, celebrates with the trophy successful the winner's ellipse aft the 152nd Kentucky Derby astatine Churchill Downs successful Louisville, Kentucky, connected May 2, 2026. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

They took a fewer days to fto everything calm down earlier making a determination connected Golden Tempo’s information successful the 2nd limb of the Triple Crown. DeVaux said the equine is good health-wise.

"We tried to fto the particulate settee connected the full weekend, and Golden Tempo is fine. But we deliberation it takes a unsocial equine to beryllium capable to travel backmost and tally successful 2 weeks. And we conscionable didn't consciousness similar for him that was the liable happening for his full career, particularly this year. We're focused connected a bigger representation than the Triple Crown," DeVaux said.

"Even though the Kentucky Derby is the archetypal limb of the Triple Crown, I’m ever biased, wherever you tin absorption connected the Triple Crown oregon you tin absorption connected the twelvemonth due to the fact that it takes truthful overmuch retired of them. And we were speaking. We decided that it was his champion involvement to absorption connected the year, not conscionable coming backmost successful 2 weeks and past coming backmost successful 3 weeks."

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Cherie DeVaux celebrates aft becoming the archetypal pistillate trainer to triumph the Kentucky Derby during the 152nd moving astatine Churchill Downs successful Louisville, Kentucky, connected May 2, 2026. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

DeVaux said that the extremity is for Golden Tempo to tally astatine the Belmont. She besides noted that this years Triple Crown is antithetic from years prior.

"No, that is decidedly our adjacent extremity and we're pointing towards that," DeVaux said. "Saratoga is great. My household lives up there, but I was really looking guardant to moving him the mile and a half, you know, it’s antithetic circumstances."

"We're moving the Preakness astatine Laurel. We're moving the Belmont astatine Saratoga astatine a antithetic distance. So, you know, it's not the existent Triple Crown layout that has been historical successful the past mates years."

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Trainer Cherie DeVaux kisses the trophy aft Golden Tempo won the 152nd Kentucky Derby astatine Churchill Downs successful Louisville, Kentucky, connected May 2, 2026. (Abbie Parr/AP Photo)

The Preakness Stakes are traditionally held astatine Pimlico Race Course successful Baltimore, but are being held astatine Laurel Park owed to renovations. The Belmont Stakes are usually held astatine Belmont Park successful Elmont, New York, but are being held astatine Saratoga Race Course successful Saratoga Springs, New York, owed to renovations.

The Kentucky Derby was inactive held astatine Churchill Downs this year. DeVaux made past successful Louisville, becoming the archetypal pistillate trainer to person a equine triumph the Kentucky Derby.

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