Golden Tempo settled at home for BC Classic preparations
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Golden Tempo has returned to Keeneland after about six weeks in Saratoga and is not going anywhere anytime soon.
Trainer Cherie DeVaux said Sunday that Golden Tempo, winner of the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont earlier this year, will train up to the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
That means Golden Tempo will be racing in the Classic, his first start against older horses, about two months after his third-place finish in the Travers Stakes. And since Golden Tempo contracted a virus in June that cost him a Travers prep in the Jim Dandy Stakes, the Classic will mark just his second race in about six months.
“He’s doing really well,” DeVaux said. “He’s going to breeze next week.”
Golden Tempo has turned into a reliably solid work horse, and connections would rather bring him fresh to the Classic than try and squeeze in a race.
Golden Tempo earned a career-best 100 Beyer Speed Figure in the Travers, his first start in almost three months, and a performance that has perhaps gone somewhat underappreciated.
The Travers pace came up moderate at best, and the first two home, Leading Change and Napoleon Solo, raced in first and third during the early and middle stages. Golden Tempo, as is his wont, dropped well off the early pace; his first quarter-mile was second slowest among 10 runners, his second quarter the slowest in the race. Golden Tempo thereafter really picked up speed, running his third quarter-mile roughly 2 1/2 seconds faster than his previous one; turning in the race’s only sub 24-second fourth quarter; then coming home best among the Travers horses.
Golden Tempo made his move up the rail and did not find clear passage through the homestretch. John Velazquez, riding pacesetting Napoleon Solo, slammed the door shut as Ortiz attempted to hug the fence going to the three-sixteenths pole, and Ortiz tried but was unable to get outside a tiring Sea Strike, instead having to correct course and come inside Sea Strike as Leading Change made his final thrust while dropping down on Golden Tempo.
“He couldn’t get out. You watch the race objectively, Jose saves ground till he can’t anymore. That’s just what can happen when you have a deep closer,” DeVaux said. “He wasn’t tired after the race. He just couldn’t get the run he needed.”
Neither Golden Tempo nor any dirt router in his class has yet run fast enough to contend with elite older horses headed to the Classic. Travers winner Leading Change will bypass the Classic for the Clark at Churchill Downs on Nov. 27. DeVaux believes Golden Tempo still has more to give.
“He’s continuing to improve – all the metrics have improved. But he’s going to have to take a big step forward,” DeVaux said.
A couple weeks ago, DeVaux said that her star 3-year-old sprinter, Englishman, would train into the Breeders’ Cup Sprint after his 3 3/4-length score in the Allen Jerkens on Aug. 29. Englishman got a 117 Beyer for that performance, and the colt has the second- and third highest Beyers – the other a 115 for his Woody Stephens in June – this year in North America. He’s the favorite for the BC Sprint, and DeVaux ran the colt in the Jerkens after a break of nearly three months. The decision to sit back and wait for the Breeders’ Cup was not a difficult one.
“He’s pretty easy to train. I think he’ll be fine,” DeVaux said.
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