Will đ Golden Tempo run?
What Cherie DeVaux is doing today. Things get emotional. Party pics!
I considered postponing todayâs Dispatch until after Cherie DeVaux makes her big Golden Tempo decision, but thereâs already a jam-packed events calendar lined up for tomorrow.
Summer hasnât even started yet, and I already need a nap.
And if the worlds align, a bigger hat for June 6.
â Abby
What I missed
I scoured the internet Monday looking for that perfect A-list reaction to Saratogaâs Cherie DeVauxâs historic Kentucky Derby win. Somehow, Mike Repoleâs heartfelt personal video (despite his Renegade coming in second to Golden Tempo) didnât punch its way through my algorithm until this morning.
âBeing the first woman trainer to win the Kentucky Derby is amazing,â he says during the five-minute tribute to DeVaux and team. âEveryone knows I have a 10-year-old daughter, Gioia. I always tell Gioia, âThink big, dream bigger.â Cherie, you exemplify that.â
Sob.
Click on the embed to watch the vid in its entirety. đ
Since weâre getting emotionalâŠ
After I sent out Mondayâs Dispatch, JosĂ© Ortiz shared this video of Golden Tempoâs groom, JosĂ© Hernandez, after their big win.
Who run the world
If Golden Tempo wins the Preakness and is up for a Triple Crown (the first ever for a female trainer) on June 6, The Spaâs final Belmont would be insane. As Repole said above, letâs dream big.
What weâre waiting on
DeVaux has said in multiple interviews that sheâll most likely announce her Golden Tempo/Preakness decision tomorrow.
Whatâs she doing today?
After making the media rounds on virtually no sleep, DeVaux told Pat McAfee that today was the big Decision Day, when the entire team would have âan informed conversation with everyoneâs input.â
The rockstar trainer was clear about the most important thing: All eyes will be on Golden Tempo.
âGolden Tempo,â she said, âwill dictate the decision.â
What weâre up against:
Golden Tempo came in from dead last place to win the Derby by a nose; the Preakness is a shorter race.
Our guy had six weeks of rest before winning the Derby. But there are only 14 days between it and the Preakness.
âGolden Tempo has never won a race with fewer than four weeks of rest,â confirms CBS Sports. âMost of the rest of the field skipped The Run for the Roses and will have much more rest time.â
DeVaux told Pat McAfee, âWeâre gonna talk about whether we think a cut back in distance off two weeksâ rest is really whatâs best for him,â adding, âHe just might need a little bit more time to get back into feeling himself.â
In pictures
Watching a race in the Hall of Fame is an electrifying experience â and the crowd that assembled last Saturday to watch a Saratoga native become the first female to win the Kentucky Derby basically caught lightning in a bottle.
And today the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame announced it will host a free Preakness Watch Party from 5 to 7 p.m. A food truck from Tedâs Fish Fry will be on hand for the purchase of snacks, and there will be a cash bar.
Walk-ins welcome for the May 16 party, but itâs always helpful to register ahead of time. To do so, visit Preakness Watch Party.
In memory
Tom and Mary Barker â who spent their last five summers in Saratoga â are one of those couples whose kindness you feel the moment you meet them. Tom passed away April 19, and Mary is celebrating his life near their home in Texas next Thursday.
And their love for Saratoga shines through, as Mary is inviting everyone to wear racetrack-inspired attire.
âTom loved horse racing and everything that came with it,â she says. So in lieu of flowers, the family would be grateful for memorial donations to the New York Racetrack Chaplaincy.
N.Y Racetrack Chaplaincy, PO Box 37191, Elmont, New York, 11003. nyrtca.org.
Local ties: Cherie talks a bit about hot walking in Saratoga
đ ICYMIâŠ
Derby đđčDeVaux: local tears, reactions
A weekend off for đââïž Mom â or đââïž Dad