Trainer Defends Golden Tempo's Preakness Skip: 'The Horse Is Not a Machine'

Golden Tempo will not run in the Preakness Stakes. Trainer Cherie DeVaux is pushing back against critics, calling the decision both collective and responsible.

DeVaux told Fox News Digital the horse is healthy, but the grueling two-week turnaround between the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness is not in his best interest. 'The horse is not a machine,' she said.

'The decision was made as a group. I understand the disappointment, but we are focused on the bigger picture-his entire career, not just three weeks in May,' DeVaux added.

Golden Tempo won the Kentucky Derby on May 2, making DeVaux the first female trainer to win the race. The goal now is the Belmont Stakes, though this year's Triple Crown layout is unconventional. The Preakness is at Laurel Park, not Pimlico, and the Belmont is at Saratoga, not Belmont Park.

DeVaux remains firm: the criticism is unfair. 'If they don't understand what goes into training a horse, I can't help them.'