Coach Shelley Deveau mentioned earlier this week that she can be “just a little disenchanted” if there have been no contenders on this spring’s Kentucky Derby, introduced by Woodford Reserve. Three and a half months later, issues appear to be going properly after DeVoe’s Golden Tempo and Mesquite made sturdy stretch runs to earn a 1-2 end within the $250,000 Grade 3 LeConte Stakes on the Fairgrounds on Jan. 17.
“Each horses are very excited,” coach DeVoe mentioned.
Each horses, simply three years previous, ran properly and the outcomes have been partly decided by their respective outings. Golden Tempo, who was slowly breaking down, was capable of keep within the area with the affected person using of Jose Ortiz, whereas Mesquite was ridden by Flavien Prat on a large observe.
Within the homestretch of the 1 1/16-mile race, Golden Tempo and Mesquite caught out chief Carson Road, who raced at paces of 23.72 minutes, 47.11 minutes, and 1 minute 11.89 seconds. In a rally from finish to finish, Golden Tempo took the lead with a time of 1:44.98 on the high-speed course, with Ortiz pumping his fist in celebration on the end.
“I adopted Mesquite all the best way to the three-eighths pole,” Ortiz mentioned. “He went outdoors and I went inside. Fortunately, I bought my likelihood and the horse did the remainder. I used to be very impressed. I used to be just a little apprehensive as a result of I did not know the way the horse would react within the first two corners, and it was my first time towards a stakes horse.”
Lecomte was Golden Tempo’s second profession begin after a six-furlong debut victory on the Fairgrounds final month. Within the Lecomte race, Golden Tempo was guess on 10 or fewer profitable horses and paid $7.40 for a $2 profitable guess.
Mesquite completed three-quarters of a size behind Golden Tempo in his second profession race in November, his third begin following his first win at Churchill Downs. Carson Road fell again to 3rd place, a neck behind the runner-up. Gun Runner Stakes winner Chip Honcho began slowly and ran extensive from publish 10 to complete fourth. High quality Izchi is in fifth place.
With Saturday’s win, Golden Tempo earned 20 qualifying factors on the street to the Kentucky Derby. The factors transfer him into second place on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard behind the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile introduced by TAA winner Ted Nophy, who leads with 40 factors.
Lecomte was the primary home prelude for 2026 3-year-old horses, with Derby qualification factors allotted to the highest 5 finishers on a 20-10-6-4-2 foundation. Churchill Downs officers will use qualifying factors to advertise the 1 1/4-mile first leg of the Triple Crown and as a precedence system within the occasion a race attracts extra contributors than its capability of 20 starters. Derby prep races this winter and spring will enhance level totals.
