The Puma tuned up under Javier Castellano and is ready to target the Travers Stakes

The son of Essential Quality breezed 1,200 meters at Saratoga, leaving Gustavo Delgado thoroughly pleased with his preparation heading into next Saturday's showcase. Javier Castellano, the record-holding seven-time winner of the Travers (G1), will be in the irons

SARATOGA SPRINGS, New York (Special for Turf Diario).— The heat is rising for the Travers Stakes (G1), and The Puma continues to take solid strides toward next Saturday’s showcase at Saratoga, where he will seek to pull off an upset over 2,000 meters for a $1,250,000 purse.

The chestnut son of Essential Quality, trained by Venezuelan native Gustavo Delgado for the partnership of OGMA Investments, JR Ranch, High Step Racing, TCC Stables, and YNG Stables, completed a fresh exercise over the main track this Friday, covering 1,200 meters in 1:14.76 with veteran Javier Castellano in the saddle.

It marked the third morning drill for The Puma since arriving at Saratoga, following a 1,000-meter move in 1:02.16 on August 6 and a sharp five-furlong bullet in 59.80 on August 14—a steady progression that left Gustavo Delgadothoroughly satisfied.

"Javier Castellano said he’s feeling great, happy," the trainer shared. "Before the work he told me: ‘I’d prefer 1:01 and 1:14 for six furlongs.’ Perfect. And he finished galloping out really strong."

Javier Castellano was equally enthused by the feel beneath him, particularly because the objective this time was not to tax the colt, but rather to keep him sharp and allow him to finish with energy.

"He did it fantastically, he worked really, really well. It was exactly what I was looking for today," the jockey explained. "He’s had three works over this track now. The first was easy in 1:02; the last one was in 59 and change, galloping out the six furlongs in 1:12. Today I think we went 1:01 and 1:14 continuing on. Our goal was just to maintain him and have him finish galloping out well."

Few voices carry as much weight as Javier Castellano's when discussing the Travers. The Venezuelan is the all-time winningest jockey in the history of the race with seven victories, a record streak that began with Bernardini (A.P. Indy) in 2006 and continued with Afleet Express (Northern Afleet, 2010), Stay Thirsty (Bernardini, 2011), V. E. Day (English Channel, 2014), Keen Ice (Curlin, 2015), Catholic Boy (More Than Ready, 2018), and Arcangelo(Arrogate, 2023).

Significantly, several of those triumphs came against the odds—a track record that fuels his optimism surrounding The Puma.

"I think it’s a race of immense prestige to win. I’ve been very fortunate and lucky to win seven Travers, many of them with longshots," Javier Castellano recalled.

The jockey understands, naturally, that the 2026 renewal will demand absolute top form. "He might be one of the outsiders. There are good horses in here, don’t get me wrong. You have Napoleon Solo (Liam's Map), who won the Preakness (G1) and was second in the Haskell (G1); there’s Renegade (Into Mischief), winner of the Jim Dandy(G2), who was impressive in the way he did it... And we round out with the winner of both the Derby and the Belmont, who is the same horse, Golden Tempo (Curlin)," he analyzed.

The Puma will attempt to rediscover at Saratoga the form that saw him fall just a nose short of Commandment (Into Mischief) in the Florida Derby (G1) last March at Gulfstream Park. That performance established him among the elite sophomores of the division, but a leg flare-up ultimately forced him to miss the Kentucky Derby (G1).

The resulting hiatus stretched nearly four months until Gustavo Delgado elected to bring him back directly in the Haskell Stakes (G1) on July 18 at Monmouth Park. There he finished fourth over 1,800 meters behind Baby Vino(Vino Rosso) and Napoleon Solo—first and second, respectively—who will reoppose him in the Travers.

That comeback served as a necessary launching pad. Since then, The Puma has steadily built up his foundation at Saratoga, adapting to the strip and raising his intensity culminating in Friday’s move.

With his final major drill completed and Javier Castellano pleased, the focus now turns to keeping him happy until Saturday.

The Travers shows no mercy, and this field lacks no depth. The Puma will enter as one of the longer prices on the board, but he arrives backed by a trainer with a knack for big stages and the jockey who knows the route to Saratoga’s pinnacle better than anyone in history.

And when it comes to Javier Castellano in the Travers, being an outsider has never been a disadvantage.