Golden Tempo fine-tunes his preparation for the Travers as DeVaux deems him ready

Winner of the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes, the colt worked 800 meters in 47s46/100 at Saratoga under José Ortiz. “He is in a very good place,” assured his trainer less than two weeks ahead of the major challenge

Golden Tempo working on the inside on Saturday at Saratoga / ADAM COGLIANESE / NYRA

SARATOGA SPRINGS, New York—The Travers Stakes (G1) is fast approaching, and Golden Tempo continues to flash all the right signals. Winner of both the Kentucky Derby (G1) and the Belmont Stakes (G1) this season, the colt returned to the track on Saturday at Saratoga, breezing 800 meters in 47s46/100 under José Ortiz.

It was another crucial step in the preparation of Cherie DeVaux's trainee for the $1,250,000 Travers over 2000 meters on August 29—one of the key remaining objectives in an already stellar sophomore campaign.

For the second consecutive week, the Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable runner worked inside of stablemate Paige Turner, though his galloping out this time was less demanding than in his previous three Saratoga exercises.

"He worked really well. He got into rhythm quickly, settled beautifully, and finished strong," DeVaux explained. "We didn't want him to gallop out as hard past the wire as he did in his last few works. We just let him ease up a bit because he has been doing a lot of heavy lifting."

Morning fog forced a adjustment to the schedule. While Golden Tempo had worked shortly after 7:00 AM in previous weeks, this time he had to wait until 8:45 AM. Additionally, the track retained some moisture from Friday's rainfall.

"He adapted perfectly, although he probably wouldn't have gone as fast if the track had been dry under normal conditions," the trainer added.

DeVaux made no secret of her confidence heading into the Travers: "He looks fit and very happy. He has put together a couple of really solid, quality works without being asked too hard. I think he is in a very good place."

Golden Tempo established his reputation among top American 3-year-olds through devastating late charges. In the Kentucky Derby, he rallied from last in an 18-horse field to edge Renegade (Into Mischief) by a neck. He then bypassed the Preakness Stakes (G1) to target the Belmont, where he again trailed the field before launching another formidable rally to win by 1 1/4 lengths over Commandment (Into Mischief), with Renegade third, four lengths further back.

A brief bout of illness forced him to miss a few days of training in June, but he resumed official works on July 17 at Keeneland, clocking 48s40/100 for 800 meters. Upon settling at Saratoga, he covered the same distance in 48s51/100 on July 26, 47s67/100 on August 2, and 48s94/100 on August 8 prior to Saturday's move.

"He trains very well both at Keeneland and here," said DeVaux. "He is starting to show us he is ready. In his gallops, he takes hold of the rider a bit more and shows plenty of eagerness. He is happy, just like before his other races, when he really gets dialed into his training. His physical condition looks fantastic."

Ortiz, who has partnered Golden Tempo in all six of his career starts as well as his four Saratoga works, was equally pleased.

"We wanted 48 seconds and he went a bit faster, 47, but he did it all on his own. He finished well and stayed right in hand. The idea was to keep him happy, let him stretch his legs, and I liked it a lot. We are going to need his best version to win the Travers," the jockey noted.

A key factor in Golden Tempo's development was the addition of blinkers. He raced without equipment in his first three starts—winning on debut and subsequently taking the Lecomte Stakes (G3) before finishing third in the Risen Star Stakes (G2).

He wore them for the first time when finishing third again in the Louisiana Derby (G2), paving the way for his classic triumphs at Churchill Downs and Saratoga. "It was a beautiful development," acknowledged Ortiz. "His debut was very impressive and gave us a lot of hope. He kept running well after that, but since we put the blinkers on, he changed completely. He is a fantastic horse and obviously very successful winning the Derby and the Belmont. Now we will see if we can land the Travers."

According to the jockey, the difference is particularly noticeable during morning training.

"He is much more focused on his job. We thought the blinkers might help him lay closer during races, but that didn't happen and he remains a closer. However, in the mornings, it was different from the very first day I worked him with them. As soon as he stepped onto the track, his demeanor changed. He started traveling forward; before, you had to ask him for absolutely everything."

Golden Tempo already has two of the most prized titles in American 3-year-old racing in the bag. Now Saratogaawaits the Travers, the ultimate summer test.

With less than two weeks until post time, both DeVaux and Ortiz share the same sentiment: the champion is signaling he is ready.