Two of the brightest stars in trainer Cherie DeVaux's stable put in solid maintenance works Oct. 23 at Keeneland and are in top form heading into the Breeders' Cup World Championships next weekend.
Kentucky Derby (G1) and Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Golden Tempo breezed 4 furlongs in :48 2/5 with jockey Jose Ortiz aboard around 7:30 a.m. ET, after the first renovation period. The Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) contender worked in company with Commentate, a 3-year-old Candy Ride colt who earned his first win Oct. 3 in maiden special weight race at Keeneland.
Earlier in the morning, around 5:30 a.m., multiple grade 1 winner Englishman with regular workout rider Ameth Gonzalez breezed a half-mile in a bullet :47 1/5, which was the fastest time of 85 to work at the distance. The 3-year-old son of Maxfield is headed into the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1).
"Most of the hard work is done so we are just looking for maintenance works and to make sure they are doing well. We could not be more pleased with all our workers," said DeVaux.
She described Golden Tempo, a 3-year-old son of Curlin and homebred for Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stables, as "ultrafocused."
"He has really improved physically (since the Derby). You can see that he has gotten a lot stronger physically and mentally, he steps up all the time," she said. "Even when he doesn't win, like in the Travers, he still improved on speed figures."
Golden Tempo comes into the Classic off a third in the Travers Stakes (G1) to Leading Change and Napoleon Solo. In the Travers, Golden Tempo earned a 100 Beyer Speed Figure compared with a 95 Beyer earned in the Kentucky Derby and a 98 in the Belmont. He could face Napoleon Solo again in the Classic, though this year's Preakness Stakes (G1) winner also has been pre-entered in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1).
While Golden Tempo is a steadier workhorse in the mornings, DeVaux said the challenge with Englishman is to prevent him from doing too much.
"He had a very typical breeze. He started off in :25 for the first quarter and finished full of run," she said. "He did it well within himself. Englishman if left to his own devices would want to go as fast as he does in his races. He is just a naturally talented horse. All we do is try to keep him happy, healthy, and sound."
Englishman quickly became one of the best 3-year-olds in the country. He won his racing debut in September of his 2-year-old year by 7 1/4 lengths. He next won his sophomore debut in allowance optional claiming company by 7 1/2 lengths before running second in the Pat Day Mile Stakes (G2), which has been his only loss to date. He followed the Pat Day with consecutive wins in the Woody Stephens Stakes (G1) by 5 3/4 lengths and the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes (G1) by 3 3/4 lengths. Englishman is owned by Lee Searing's C R K Stable.
Another of DeVaux's workers Oct. 23 was Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) contender Brilliant Berti, a 5-year-old son of Noble Mission and a homebred for Klein Racing. The bay horse worked after 7:30 a.m., going 4 furlongs in :48 1/5.
Brilliant Berti has won or placed 12 times in 20 career starts. Last year, he became a grade 2 winner in the Wise Dan Stakes (G2T) at Churchill Downs and two races later ran third in the Turf Mile Stakes (G1T) at Keeneland. This year, he has placed in one of six starts in graded stakes and won the listed Green River Island Stakes at Ellis Park.
"He had a maintenance work, and he looks fantastic," DeVaux said. "He has done a lot in his career, just not hit the big home run. It is in him to run a really good race."
