Leading Change Claims G1 DraftKings Travers Victory

By Mary Eddy

SARATOGA SPRINGS – The winners of this year’s Triple Crown events featured in a stellar field of top 3-year-olds assembled for Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.25 million DraftKings Travers at Saratoga Race Course, but it was Wathnan Racing’s lightly-raced Leading Change who announced his presence in the division with a statement score over Grade 1 Preakness-winner Napoleon Solo in the prestigious 10-furlong route for sophomores. Grade 1 Kentucky Derby and Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets-winner Golden Tempo rallied stoutly to finish third.

Trained by dual Eclipse Award-winner Brad Cox, the blossoming Leading Change has made a rapid ascent to the upper echelon of his generation, maintaining a flawless ledger through three starts with his half-length victory.

The son of Gun Runner made his career bow just 12 weeks ago with an open-lengths graduation in June at Churchill Downs, and entered the Travers from a neck victory in the Grade 3 Indiana Derby on July 11 at Horseshoe Indianapolis where he faced winners and tried two turns for the first time. His prior starts were awarded respective Beyer Speed Figures of 92 and 95, the latter matching the figure returning rival Golden Tempo earned when winning the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby in May.

“We’ve always thought he was a big-time talent,” said Cox, who celebrated his second Travers victory following Essential Quality’s win in 2021. “He showed it before today in his first two starts and he was able to get it done today. I said coming into it that he’s light on seasoning, but we were hoping he could make up for it with talent, and he was able to do it.”

In the Travers, Leading Change faced a stacked group of nine well-seasoned rivals, but ran like a consummate professional in the victory engineered by the red-hot Manny Franco, who celebrated with ecstatic jubilation as he crossed the wire and earned his second Travers victory, an exclamation point on a career summer at the Spa where he currently ranks third in the jockeys’ standings. He enjoyed additional top-flight scores this meet with My Gun’s Loaded in the Alabama presented by Keeneland Sales and with Survie in the Grade 1 Christophe Clement Turf.

“All I can say is, ‘wow,’” an emotional Franco said moments after the race. “I just want to say thanks to Brad Cox, the owners, my agent John Panagot. This is amazing. And the horse, he deserved this. I had the trip that I wanted. I wanted to wait behind those two horses and by the three-eighths pole, he jumped on the bridle and I said, ‘oh boy, OK.’ It was a matter of getting to the outside and when he hit the outside, he leveled off and he was game.”

Leading Change, a son of Gun Runner, was fleet-footed from post 2 and had enough natural speed to clear the field, but Napoleon Solo, who broke to his immediate outside, was asked for his signature speed while drifting out under Hall of Famer John Velazquez to assume command through the opening quarter-mile in 23.66 seconds over the fast footing.

Franco was patient aboard Leading Change, maintaining their inside position to keep close watch in second while the wide-running Sea Strike followed the run of Napoleon Solo through the first turn to range up into a shared second, with Emerging Market and Baby Vino another length behind them. The remainder of the field was strung out down the backstretch, as Golden Tempo was well behind in ninth with only Grade 1-winner Renegade, who lunged at the start, beaten through the half-mile in 47.95.

A group of six rivals began to bunch up at the front, all awaiting the right moment to strike as Napoleon Solo ticked along through three-quarters in 1:12.62. Sea Strike was the first to take aim at the pacesetter, and ranged up wide midway through the turn as Franco began to test the waters with his willing partner. Sea Strike loomed large straightening for home after one mile in 1:37.03, but Napoleon Solo was far from done and dug in for the fight while Franco angled Leading Change around the top pair with a strong hand ride before going to a right-handed stick.

The favored Golden Tempo made his signature move from deep to make headway down on the rail and was within striking range at the eighth pole, while Napoleon Solo put away Sea Strike and was again a clear leader. Golden Tempo idled briefly as he ran up the inside of Sea Strike and was steadily making up ground late, but Franco implored Leading Change for more inside the final sixteenth and his charge responded, willing himself in front in the shadow of the wire to edge the stubborn Napoleon Solo in a final time of 2:02.98.