Golden Tempo is likely to miss the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga on August 1 after a minor illness cost the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner around 10 days of training.
Cherie DeVaux just told Caton Bredar and FanDuel Racing that Golden Tempo suffered a minor illness and will skip the Jim Dandy and point to the Travers.
— J.J. Hysell (@trifectabox) June 28, 2026
Trainer Cherie DeVaux said the Curlin colt remains fine, but the calendar has tightened enough for connections to change tack and train him straight into the Grade 1 Travers Stakes at Saratoga on August 29.
The Phipps Stable and St Elias Stable homebred had been pencilled in for the Jim Dandy as his summer bridge from the Belmont to the Travers, one of the defining three-year-old races of the second half of the US season.
Golden Tempo Travers route now changes
DeVaux told FanDuel’s Caton Bredar that Golden Tempo had “got a little sick”, with Paulick Report detailing the revised Travers plan after the interrupted training spell.
The decision is significant because Golden Tempo has already shaped the 2026 Classic picture, winning the Kentucky Derby before skipping the Preakness and then adding the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga.
A Jim Dandy absence would remove the division leader from Saratoga’s key local prep, but it also keeps DeVaux aligned with the approach that has defined his campaign: spacing, patience and protecting the horse before the next championship test.
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