Golden Tempo turned in his final workout and heads into the Travers Stakes brimming with confidence

The dual classic winner of the Kentucky Derby (G1) and the Belmont Stakes (G1) covered 800 meters in 49.66 seconds at Saratoga and is primed for next Saturday's Travers Stakes (G1); Cherie DeVaux assured that he has bounced back completely from the setback that forced him to miss the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2)

SARATOGA SPRINGS, New York (Special for Turf Diario).— Golden Tempo completed his final major breeze this past Saturday for next weekend's DraftKings Travers Stakes (G1-2,000m, $1,250,000) at Saratoga, a race he will enter without a prep run since his victory in the Belmont Stakes (G1), but with Cherie DeVaux thoroughly pleased with his progress.

The homebred colt representing Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable covered 800 meters in 49.66 seconds, according to NYRA clockers, once again working inside of his stablemate Paige Turner (Army Mule) with José Ortiz in the irons.

"He worked really well. We just wanted to do something light and he did it in great style, so we're happy with where he's at," DeVaux commented.

It was Golden Tempo's fifth timed workout at Saratoga since arriving in July, serving to clear any lingering doubts surrounding a preparation that experienced a minor hiccup.

After capturing the Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs by a neck and defeating his rivals by 1 1/4 lengths in the Belmont Stakes (G1) on June 6—over the exact same 2,000-meter trip and track surface where the Travers will take place—the colt suffered a health issue that caused him to miss a few days of training. That led his connections to rule out the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) on August 1 and train straight up to the Travers.

"At the time, I wasn't sure how much time he would lose or how it might affect him. He lost some weight and condition, but he has regained all of that now. His works have been excellent and give us a lot of confidence," the trainer explained.

While DeVaux acknowledges she would have preferred coming into the race with a recent start under his belt, Golden Tempo gives her peace of mind: "It's always nice to have more racing rhythm, but he's the kind of horse that gives you confidence. You know when he's right, and right now he's in that spot."

The racing career of the Medaglia d'Oro colt was built progressively. He won on debut over 1,200 meters at Fair Grounds in December before taking the Lecomte Stakes (G3). He subsequently finished third in both the Risen Star Stakes (G2) and the Louisiana Derby (G2), before delivering his two massive, late-closing victories in Louisville and Saratoga.

"He is a horse with immense class and incredible professionalism. He's been that way his whole life," DeVauxhighlighted, recalling that since January the goal was to keep him developing specifically with the Kentucky Derby in mind.

"In our world, it almost never happens that you can lay out a plan and then execute it—that the horse steps up, the track conditions cooperate, and the jockey rides a great race. We were very fortunate in that sense. He is a horse that keeps improving, maturing, and evolving."

Golden Tempo will make a schooling visit to the paddock during the week, likely on Thursday, as the final detail before the Travers.

There, he will defend a status earned squarely on the track: he stands as the winner of the first two legs of the American Triple Crown, and now Saratoga waits to see if he can add the Travers to a campaign already worthy of a champion.