Golden Tempo goes for glory in a Travers that promises to be unforgettable

Winner of the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes, the Cherie DeVaux trainee will seek to solidify his leadership among 3-year-old colts over 2,000 meters at Saratoga. Renegade, Napoleon Solo, Baby Vino, Silent Tactic, and The Puma stand out among his main threats in a high-caliber field

SARATOGA SPRINGS, New York (Special for Turf Diario).— Golden Tempo's leadership among the 3-year-old colt division in the United States will be put to the test once again this Saturday, as the representative for Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable headlines the DraftKings Travers (G1-2,000 m, US$1,250,000), the premier race of the summer at Saratoga.

The 157th edition of the Travers will serve as the 13th event of an exceptional card that features four additional G1contests: the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial, the Personal Ensign, the Forego, and the Ballerina—the latter three forming part of the Breeders' Cup Win and You're In program. The Lake Placid (G2) completes the graded stakes lineup.

Conditioned by Cherie DeVaux, Golden Tempo brings credentials that are tough to match. The son of Curlin rallied from last-to-first over 2,000 meters to capture both the Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs and the Belmont Stakes (G1), contested here on June 6. In Louisville, he trailed the entire 18-horse field, 17 lengths off the lead, before unleashing a powerful rally to edge Renegade (Into Mischief) by a neck, leaving Ocelli (Connect) in third and Emerging Market (Candy Ride) in tenth.

“He is a horse with an immense amount of class and extremely professional. He’s been that way his entire life,” says DeVaux. “He keeps improving, maturing, and filling out. Horses do a lot of that up until they are 4, and he continues in that direction. So going into every race, we expect him to keep progressing, and so far he has done just that.”

Golden Tempo reaffirmed his status in the Belmont. Once again settling at the tail of the field—this time among nine runners and about 6 lengths off the pace—he closed with authority to defeat Commandment (Into Mischief) by 1 1/4 lengths. Renegade placed third, with Emerging Market finishing fifth.

“I have tremendous respect for Renegade. When you’re the favorite, everyone is a rival because everyone wants to beat you,” DeVaux adds. “This race is different because horses mature a lot over the summer, especially 3-year-olds. It will be interesting to see how they respond. Plus, there are new horses emerging now that weren't in the conversation during Belmont week.”

A minor illness in late June briefly interrupted Golden Tempo's training, prompting his connections to skip the Jim Dandy (G2) and prepare him directly for the Travers. Since then, he has logged five official workouts over the Saratoga main track, most recently covering 800 meters in 49s66/100 on August 22.

“He really didn't lose that much training. It wasn't an amount that would make a significant difference in his overall fitness,” reassures DeVaux.

Golden Tempo (post 9, 5-2) will once again be guided by José Ortiz, who has been in the irons for all six of his career starts, yielding four victories and two third-place finishes. Currently leading the jockey standings at Saratoga, Ortizseeks his first Travers triumph.

Renegade seeks revenge

Perhaps the most formidable threat to Golden Tempo remains Renegade (post 5, Tyler Gaffalione, 3-1), trained by Todd Pletcher. After finishing third in the Belmont, he rebounded with a half-length victory over Commandment and Silent Tactic (Tacitus) in the Jim Dandy (G2-1,800 m) on August 1. In that effort, he rallied from 11 lengths off the pace to secure his first victory since the Arkansas Derby (G1).

“He’s very professional, always in good spirits, and manageable,” explains Pletcher. “I think he found his style: settling off the pace and delivering that explosive turn of foot at the end. He’s been in peak form these past few weeks, and I get the impression he is ready.” Pletcher has captured the Travers three times, each following a victory in the Jim Dandy: with Flower Alley (Distorted Humor, 2005), Stay Thirsty (Bernardini, 2011), and Fierceness (City of Lights, 2024).

“He showed plenty of energy, his appetite has been excellent, and he trains with enthusiasm. He seems to be thriving. I'm very pleased with him,” the trainer added. Gaffalione replaces Irad Ortiz Jr., who remains sidelined with a foot injury sustained during the Whitney card.

Napoleon Solo (post 3, John Velazquez, 8-1) presents another formidable credential. Winner of the Preakness Stakes(G1), the gray colt trained by Chad Summers comes off a half-length defeat to Baby Vino (Vino Rosso) in the Haskell (G1) over a sloppy surface at Monmouth Park. Napoleon Solo set the pace for much of the running before Baby Vino launched an inside bid, and the pair battled down the stretch, where the 28-1 longshot prevailed before surviving a stewards' inquiry.

“This is the deepest Travers field we've seen in a long time,” asserts Summers. “Golden Tempo is obviously the divisional favorite, but he’s never faced us. We'll see what happens.”

Napoleon Solo captured the Preakness by 1 1/4 lengths and maintained an undefeated record in two starts at 2, highlighted by a dominant victory in the Champagne (G1). Meanwhile, Baby Vino (post 8, Paco López, 10-1) will attempt to prove his Haskell shocker was no fluke.

“He showed another gear,” notes trainer Lindsay Schultz. “We believed he belonged in that company, but he had never been tested against a group like that. Maybe he liked the wet track more than others, but it was a very solid field, and he stepped up to the plate. When it was time to run, he wasn't going to stop.” The son of Vino Rosso has strung together three consecutive victories. Prior to the Haskell, he broke his maiden at Oaklawn and drew off by 10 3/4 lengths in the Pegasus (L).

New blood for the ultimate test

One of the intrigue-filled contenders will be Leading Change (post 2, Manny Franco, 12-1), whom Brad Cox saddles for Wathnan Racing. The least experienced in the lineup, he remains undefeated, having won on debut by 6 1/2 lengths at Churchill Downs before taking the Indiana Derby (G3). “We think he's a top-level horse,” states Cox. “He obviously lacks seasoning, but he possesses immense talent and an excellent mind. He’s always conducted himself like a good horse, and we hope to be right in the thick of it.” The son of Gun Runner is a half-brother to Shedaresthedevil(Daredevil), heroine of the 2020 Kentucky Oaks (G1).

Meanwhile, trainer Chad Brown will shoot for his first Travers victory with a dual entry: Sea Strike (Midshipman, post 7, Flavien Prat, 5-1) and Emerging Market (post 1, Ricardo Santana Jr., 15-1).

Sea Strike has won two of his three lifetime starts, coming off an 8 1/4-length runaway in the Curlin (L) over 1,800 meters. “He’s lightly raced. We’ll see if he can stretch his stamina another 200 meters to get the mile and a quarter. Based on the figures, he fits,” Brown explains.

Emerging Market won his first two starts, including the Louisiana Derby (G2), where Golden Tempo finished third. He then placed tenth in the Kentucky Derby and fifth in the Belmont, and most recently finished runner-up facing older horses at Saratoga.

Dangerous threats: Silent Tactic and The Puma

Silent Tactic (post 10, Luis Sáez, 10-1), trained by Mark Casse, returned from a four-month layoff to finish third in the Jim Dandy, 2 1/2 lengths behind Renegade. He had been scratched from the Kentucky Derby due to a hoof bruise.

“There was no way he was a hundred percent for the Jim Dandy. I’d say he was at 90 percent,” Casse explains. “If he can improve five percent, he’ll be right in the fight. In his morning works he looks like a $25,000 claimer—he’s always been like that—but he runs like a Group 1 horse.”

Confidence in Silent Tactic was made clear when Victoriam Farm recently acquired a 50 percent stake in the colt for US$1,500,000.

Also making his second start off a layoff is The Puma (post 4, Javier Castellano, 8-1), conditioned by Gustavo Delgado. The son of Essential Quality missed by a nose to Commandment in the Florida Derby (G1), but a skin infection and subsequent leg inflammation ruled him out of the Kentucky Derby. He returned nearly four months later, finishing fourth in the Haskell, beaten 4 1/4 lengths. “He likes the Saratoga surface,” says Delgado. “It’s a very tough race. These are good horses. It’s different when you put 20 horses in the Kentucky Derby and maybe five are elite and 15 aren't. Here, all the best are lining up.”

The Puma will be ridden by Javier Castellano, who holds the record of 7 Travers victories, achieved aboard Bernardini, Afleet Express (Afleet Alex), Stay Thirsty, V. E. Day (English Channel), Keen Ice (Curlin), Catholic Boy (More Than Ready), and Arcangelo (Arrogate).

Ocelli chases history

The field is completed by Ocelli (post 6, Edgard Zayas, 20-1), the sole maiden in the lineup despite having competed 10 times. Trained by Whit Beckman, he nearly pulled off a massive shocker at 70-1 when finishing third behind Golden Tempo and Renegade in the Derby. He subsequently finished fourth in the Preakness, second in the Ohio Derby (G3), and seventh in the Haskell.

Only one maiden has ever won the Travers in its entire history: D'Artagnan (Lightning), back in 1875.