Renegade, after Jim Dandy triumph, will likely see Golden Tempo again in Travers Stakes
:quality(75))
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - In winning the Jim Dandy at Saratoga on Saturday, Renegade gave a similar performance as he did in the Kentucky Derby when he came within a head of defeating Golden Tempo. That alone should make for an intriguing renewal of the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers Stakes here on Aug. 29, when Renegade meets dual-classic winner Golden Tempo for a third time this year.
Add the potential representation from Preakness winner Napoleon Solo, Haskell winner Baby Vino, Tampa Bay Derby winner The Puma, a resurgent Silent Tactic, Indiana Derby winner Leading Change or Jim Dandy and Grade 1 winner Commandment, Emerging Market and Ocelli and you have the ingredients for a fun Travers.
Renegade, under Irad Ortiz Jr., was about a dozen lengths off the pace down the backstretch in the Jim Dandy before launching a bid that carried him past Commandment in deep stretch to record a half-length victory. It was a rebound effort from the Belmont Stakes, in which Renegade finished third, 5 1/4 lengths behind Golden Tempo and four lengths behind Commandment. The eight weeks between the Belmont and Jim Dandy proved beneficial to Renegade. He will now have only four weeks between the Jim Dandy and Travers.
The situation is similar to 2024, when the Todd Pletcher-trained Fierceness came off a 12-week layoff from the Kentucky Derby to win the Jim Dandy, and then came back four weeks later to win the Travers. Many wondered if Fierceness would be effective running back on relatively short rest, yet in the Travers he ran the fastest Beyer Speed Figure (111) of his career.
“I think it’s very similar, the difference is Fierceness we did not run in the Belmont. I knew he was not going to be ready in five weeks, we needed all that time for the Jim Dandy,” said Pletcher, who won his ninth Jim Dandy on Saturday.
“We’ll see as we go back to the track, my initial impression is that [Renegade’s] taken the race really well. Last night, we were back here after the races and he was bright, alert, at the front of his stall. He ate well last night, his energy level was good this morning. If we can have a month leading up to the Travers like he had the last month … it seems like sometimes once these horses get in form they can stay in form for the month.”
Since 2005, nine of the last 21 Jim Dandy winners have come back to win the Travers. Three of those - Flower Alley (2005), Stay Thirsty (2011), and Fierceness (2024) were trained by Pletcher, the latter two for Mike Repole who is also co-owner of Renegade.
Asked about another meeting with Golden Tempo, Pletcher said, “we got to do a little bit better than we did in the Derby.”
Meanwhile, Golden Tempo, who missed the Jim Dandy due to illness, put in his second workout at Saratoga on Sunday, going four furlongs in 47.71 seconds in company with the 3-year-old Stirring Words. Golden Tempo, who was on the inside under Jose Ortiz, galloped out five furlongs in 1:00.75 and six furlongs in 1:14.28.
“He’s doing great, I’m really, really pleased with him,” trainer Cherie DeVaux said.
DeVaux said another meeting between Golden Tempo and Renegade will be a talking point leading to up to the Travers, but she’s just focusing on her colt’s preparation.
“Renegade ran really well yesterday, but I’m really confident in how Golden Tempo is training right now,” DeVaux said. “We got a couple more weeks, but I’m really pleased with him and he’s proven at the distance.”
Commandment, second in the Jim Dandy and Belmont Stakes, will be considered for the Travers or the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby on Sept. 19 at Parx Racing. Trainer Brad Cox said he was pleased with the effort Commandment gave in the Jim Dandy, his first race with blinkers.
“I thought it was a really good race,” Cox said. “Flavien [Prat] kept him near Silent Tactic to keep him engaged and then Flavien said he didn’t feel the pressure or see the horse coming down the outside. Once he did, he re-engaged.”
Commandment and Leading Change, who won the Indiana Derby for Cox in just his second career start, are both owned by Wathnan Racing. Leading Change worked a half-mile in 48 Saturday seconds at Churchill.
“He’s light on seasoning, that’s it,” Cox said. “We asked a lot of him last time to run two turns in the second start of his career against seasoned 3-year-olds, and he ran I thought a really good race. His numbers are really good, so it’s just about doing what’s right.”
Trainer Mark Casse said Silent Tactic, who showed a new dimension by racing just off the pace in the Jim Dandy, emerged from his third-place finish in good order and is on to the Travers. The Jim Dandy was Silent Tactic’s first start in four months, or since he was second to Renegade in the Arkansas Derby.
“I was so proud of him yesterday, four months, lots of issues. no way he could have been at his very best, maybe 90 percent,” Casse said. “He looked great this morning. If we can get a good [month], keep him happy, he’s going to be tough in the Travers. He should improve.”
Haskell winner Baby Vino returned to the worktab at Monmouth Park on Saturday going a half-mile in 49.40 seconds. Trainer Lindsay Schultz said Sunday the Travers “is the plan right now” and that Baby Vino would likely ship up in time to get a work over the track.
Napoleon Solo, beaten a half-length by Baby Vino in the Haskell, is in Saratoga and will likely return to the worktab this week. His connections are between the Travers and Pennsylvania. Derby.
The Puma, fourth in the Haskell, is also in Saratoga and expected to have his first work back this weekend. Emerging Market, the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby winner and a recent second in an allowance, and Ocelli, who is a maiden after 10 starts but was third in the Kentucky Derby and second in the Ohio Derby, are also potential Travers starters.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.