Patrick Reed, editor for America’s Best Racing, delivers crucial insights from the DraftKings Travers Stakes held at Saratoga Race Course, along with a roundup of outcomes from other major weekend races nationwide on Saturday.
A Fresh Talent Emerges: Arriving at the Travers Stakes, Leading Change stood as the sole unbeaten contender in a 10-horse lineup. However, his experience was limited to just two prior starts: an impressive debut victory in a Churchill Downs sprint back in June, and a gritty neck-length triumph during his first two-turn appearance in the Indiana Derby on July 11, where he bested a field of just five competitors. This time, Leading Change faced a far more daunting challenge, confronting a stellar Travers group headlined by Golden Tempo, the champion of both the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve and the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets.
Ultimately, Leading Change passed this ultimate test of class with flying colors. Guided masterfully by the in-form rider Manny Franco, the colt chased down the brave front-runner, Preakness Stakes victor Napoleon Solo, to secure the win by a half-length, while Golden Tempo had to settle for third place. This victory marked the second Travers triumph for both jockey Franco (who won with Tiz the Law in 2020) and trainer Brad Cox (who took the honors with Essential Quality in 2021).
“Once (Leading Change) angled out in the homestretch, he kept finding more and proved his capability over a mile and a quarter, something we always believed he possessed,” Cox remarked to NYRA’s Acacia Clement while celebrating in Saratoga’s winner’s circle. Pulling off a surprise victory at 10-1 odds, Leading Change has disrupted Golden Tempo’s supremacy in the 3-year-old class as the autumn campaign approaches, leaving the Pennsylvania Derby on September 19 as the final major stakes event for this generation.
Lacking the Necessary Pace: Golden Tempo, the celebrated hero of the Derby and Belmont, launched a powerful rally from his usual spot at the back of the pack, but his progress flattened out near the finish line as he closed into steady, unhurried fractions, ending up in third place, 2 ¼ lengths behind Leading Change. He had previously bypassed a scheduled warm-up in the Jim Dandy Stakes Presented by Mohegan Sun on August 1 due to a slight illness, though trainer Cherie DeVaux had him training effectively in the weeks leading up to this start.
“According to Jose (Ortiz), the horse made a fantastic move but hesitated slightly when squeezing between rivals, which disrupted his forward drive,” DeVaux explained to David Grening of the Daily Racing Form. “Even so, I am incredibly pleased with his effort, and he came out of the race healthy, which remains our top priority.”
While Golden Tempo fell short of matching Sovereignty’s feat from the previous year by sweeping the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, and Travers Stakes consecutively, his status as a dual classic winner remains a powerful argument for Eclipse Award voters evaluating the top 3-year-old at year’s end. Though it is premature to predict which of these Travers runners will target the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic on October 31 to challenge a stellar lineup of senior horses like Sovereignty, it is worth pointing out that Golden Tempo is based out of Keeneland, which serves as the venue for this year’s Breeders’ Cup event.
British Brilliance: Englishman, who shares a stable with Golden Tempo, bolstered his status as an elite sophomore runner by cruising to an effortless 3 ¾-length victory in the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes earlier in the day. The son of Maxfield was previously seen on June 6, matching Saratoga’s track record for seven furlongs in 1:20.40 during a dominant 5 ¾-length performance in the Woody Stephens Stakes Presented by Mohegan Sun. During the Jerkens, Englishman broke quickly to control the tempo, easily repelled a brief challenge from second-place finisher Deep Flame at the head of the stretch, and crossed the wire under hand urging from Jose Ortiz, finishing the seven-furlong distance in 1:20.71.
Trainer Cherie DeVaux’s success this season stems from her meticulous and patient handling of both Englishman and Golden Tempo. Following Englishman’s triumph on Saturday, DeVaux refrained from guaranteeing another prep race before a planned run in the Cygames Breeders’ Cup Sprint on October 31 at Keeneland. Direct preparation for the six-furlong Breeders’ Cup Sprint would afford Englishman a rest period comparable to the two-month gap he had between his victories in the Woody Stephens and the Allen Jerkens Stakes.
‘Cal’ Rewrites His Story: Iron Man Cal entered Saturday’s highly competitive Pat O’Brien Stakes at Del Mar as an unpredictable challenger. Although his first nine lifetime starts came on the grass, he transitioned to the dirt for the San Diego Handicap at Del Mar on July 18, securing a promising third-place finish behind Journalism over 1 1/16 miles. Switched back to a seven-furlong sprint for his second outing on dirt, and following a last-minute shoe adjustment prior to the gate opening, the gelding dictated the pace to capture the Pat O’Brien by a half-length over Moonlight, with Joel Rosario aboard for their initial pairing.
“His morning workouts on the main track were so outstanding that taking a gamble in the San Diego seemed like the obvious move for him at this point in his career,” explained Gary Fenton, representing co-owner Little Red Feather Racing, to Mike Joyce of FanDuel TV. “That decision was rewarded then, and it has absolutely been rewarded again today.”
Conditioned by Phil D’Amato, Iron Man Cal clinched an automatic qualifying spot for the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland on October 31, a race that will feature a two-turn configuration.
A First-Possession Touchdown: Russell Wilson originally rose to fame in professional football by starting all 16 games as a rookie quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks in 2012, subsequently guiding them to a Super Bowl championship the following year. Today, he is enjoying a flawless initiation into horse ownership with a perfect one-for-one record. Club Reign, a juvenile colt campaigned by Wilson’s Three Brand Racing in partnership and prepared by trainer Whit Beckman, burst away in the stretch to dominate the opening race of Saturday’s Travers card by six lengths, guided by jockey Edgard Zayas.
Wilson, joined by his wife, the Grammy-winning vocalist Ciara, and their children, celebrated enthusiastically in the Saratoga winner’s circle. “Winning on Travers Day during our very first outing at Saratoga feels just like earning Rookie of the Year honors—it is an absolute blessing,” remarked Wilson, who hung up his football cleats earlier this year following a stellar 14-year career as an NFL quarterback.
