Golden Tempo returns to work tab with Travers up next
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – On Thursday night, trainer Cherie DeVaux got to hang out with some of the most important people in the sports world at an event in New York City. On Friday morning, her most important horse, got back to work in Kentucky.
Golden Tempo, the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner, returned to the work tab Friday morning at Keeneland and is expected to arrive in Saratoga on Sunday, as he prepares for a return to the races in the $1.25 million Travers Stakes on Aug. 29.
Golden Tempo, working by himself, went a half-mile in 48.40 seconds, his first breeze since his victory in the Belmont Stakes on June 6 in Saratoga. Golden Tempo had the onset of pneumonia in late June, which is what kept him off the work tab for so long and what will force him to miss the Jim Dandy in Saratoga on Aug. 1.
“He was in the early stages of having pretty significant pneumonia. We got on it right away so he never had clinical signs of sickness because we got it early,” DeVaux said. “But he’s been fine, bouncing around happy, healthy.”
DeVaux said Golden Tempo got back on the work tab a week earlier than she had planned because he seemed to be doing so well.
“This gives us some room to get him up there [Saratoga], get him settled in and acclimated,” DeVaux said. “He’s already been there.”
DeVaux was on her way to Saratoga on Friday morning after attending a party at Chelsea Piers in New York City Thursday night honoring Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in Sports 2026. DeVaux earned her way onto that list by becoming the first female trainer to win the Kentucky Derby.
“We met a lot of inspirational people,” DeVaux said. “LeBron James was sitting behind us, the former Prince Harry was sitting in front of us, some really nice people.”
DeVaux said Jessica Sibley, the CEO of Time, made a point to seek out DeVaux at the event.
“Her mother watched [the Derby] and she made a point to come and talk about how meaningful it was,” DeVaux said.
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