Golden Tempo launches last-to-first move in Lecomte

A dynamic off-the-pace debut maiden winner, Phipps Stable & St. Elias Stables’ homebred Golden Tempo offered another spectacular late move to win Saturday’s $250,000 Lecomte (G3) at Fair Grounds, earning his first points toward a Kentucky Derby (G1) bid while stretching to two turns in the 1 1/16-mile race. 

The Curlin colt rallied dramatically to defeat stablemate Mesquite by three-quarters of a length, leading a 1-2 finish for trainer Cherie DeVaux in the Road to the Kentucky Derby Challenge series event.

Jose Ortiz was up on Golden Tempo, who was bet down to 2.70-1 favoritism, but backers had reason to be concerned as Golden Tempo trailed among 10 runners after three-quarters of a mile. And the Fair Grounds main track had favored speed all day.

“Sometimes as a rider, you get your hands tied,” Ortiz said of his trip. “I knew that track was playing forward, but if I have a horse like him, that doesn't have early speed, what can you do?”

The early pace was solid, with Crown the Buckeye showing the way through opening spits in :23.72 and :47.11 while being pressed by Carson Street and Chip Honcho. Carson Street advanced along the rail to take the lead on the far turn, reaching the three-quarters mark in 1:11.89, and Golden Tempo began to weave his way through traffic while rounding the bend. 

Ortiz guided his mount toward the inside while straightening into the stretch, and Golden Tempo closed stoutly in the final sixteenth of a mile to prove best, stopping the teletimer in 1:44.98.

“When Jose started picking him up, I was a little worried with him being inexperienced that he was making his move on the inside,” DeVaux said. “He did idle a little bit (in midstretch), but then he came back on nicely.”

"The horse broke a little slow like he did the first time,” Ortiz added. “I was just very patient. I followed Mesquite until the three-eighths pole; he went outside, and I went inside. Luckily, I got an opening, and the horse did the rest. I’m very impressed. I was a little bit worried because you never know how a horse is going to react going two turns for the first time, and he was facing stakes horses for the first time.”

As part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby Challenge series, the Lecomte offered points on a 20-10-6-4-2 scale to the top five finishers. It’s the first of three qualifiers at the New Orleans track this year, with the $500,000 Risen Star (G2) on Feb. 14 and the $1 million TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) on March 21 to be offered.

Mesquite, the 4.20-1 second choice following a maiden win at Churchill Downs in early November, rallied well for second while traveling wide into the stretch, winding up a neck better than 15-1 Carson Street in third. 

“So excited for both horses," DeVaux said. "Elated for the owners. I was pleased with how Mesquite found himself more in the race.”

Chip Honcho wound up about a length back of Carson Street in fourth, and Quality Mischief came next in fifth. Exosome, Stop the Car, Crown the Buckeye, White Tiger, and Thunder Buck completed the order.

Golden Tempo is the first stakes winner out of the Grade 3-winning Bernardini mare Carrumba, who is closely related to champion Heavenly Prize and Grade 1 winners Dancing Forever, Good Reward, and Oh What a Windfall.