Belmont Stakes: Golden Tempo takes DeVaux to her birthplace

Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo will carry Cherie DeVaux back to her birthplace when he runs in the Belmont Stakes next Saturday at Saratoga.

Golden Tempo will finish his preparation in Kentucky with a work Saturday then ship Sunday to arrive at Saratoga on Monday morning, DeVaux said on the National Thoroughbred Racing Association's Belmont Stakes teleconference. His five-week buildup mirrored the approach to Churchill Downs apart from one fewer work.

DeVaux, who won the Derby in May to become the first female trainer to do so, was born in Saratoga Springs before her family settled in Southwest Florida. Having a starter in the Belmont gives her a week with relatives who rarely make it to the track. She called it an amazing opportunity to share the week with the nieces and nephews who do not travel to the races.

Golden Tempo, a homebred run for Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable, rallied from last under José Ortiz to edge Todd Pletcher's Renegade by a neck at 23-1 in the May 2 Kentucky Derby. The Curlin colt skipped the Preakness, following the same path Sovereignty took to last year's Belmont.

The 1 1/4-mile Belmont, shortened from its traditional 1 1/2 miles for a third year as Belmont Park is rebuilt, might not deliver the pace that set up the Golden Tempo's late run in the Derby. DeVaux said she would prefer Ortiz position the colt closer early rather than ask him to cover so much ground in the final stages.

"We've never wanted to change his running style," she said, adding that the approach leaves the closer vulnerable if the pace turns soft. She wants Ortiz to get Golden Tempo "in a better spot early in the race" so he has less to do late.

DeVaux said winning the Derby had not changed her plan to keep her stable near 120 horses, though it has drawn fresh interest from prospective owners. Pletcher could send out two runners next Saturday, and she pushed back on the idea that scale is required to win at the top level.

"120 is the number that I am comfortable with," she said, later noting that a trainer can "still win big races and compete at the highest level" without the largest numbers.