Golden Tempo will miss the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga after a minor illness interrupted his training, with Cherie DeVaux now set to aim the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner straight at the Travers.
The three-year-old had been expected to use the Jim Dandy on 1 August as his main Saratoga prep, but DeVaux said the timing no longer works after the colt lost around 10 days from his programme.
Golden Tempo remains on course for the Grade 1 Travers Stakes on 29 August, preserving the headline target of his summer campaign while removing one of the season’s most anticipated intermediate clashes.
Golden Tempo Travers Plan Takes Priority
DeVaux told Caton Bredar during a FanDuel interview that Golden Tempo was “fine” but would probably skip the Jim Dandy and train up to the Travers, according to Thoroughbred Daily News.
The decision is a notable reset for a colt who has already shaped the American Classic season, winning the Kentucky Derby before bypassing the Preakness and then adding the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga.
DeVaux also stressed that the extra gap was not the original design, but said her confidence in Golden Tempo’s ability had not changed. The Travers now becomes the clear checkpoint for whether he can extend a campaign that has already made him the dominant three-year-old of 2026.
