‘Big-time talent’ Leading Change maintains perfect record in the Travers

From maiden to Graded Stakes success to Grade 1 winner in less than three months. That has been the flawless passage of Wathnan Racing’s Leading Change, who overcame his comparative inexperience to cast aside two Classic winners when grinding his way to victory in the $1.25 million GI DraftKings Travers Stakes at Saratoga.

Storming past GI Preakness Stakes winner Napoleon Solo in the shadow of the post, Leading Change also had G1 Kentucky Derby and G1 Belmont Stakes hero Golden Tempo in his wake at the wire having been given a masterful ride by Manny Franco.

Breaking well, he led the field for the first time past the post but was soon settled in behind Napoleon Solo and Sea Strike to sit third throughout before being produced wide to make his challenge at the top of the straight. 

“We’ve always thought he was a big-time talent,” said Leading Change’s trainer Brad Cox. “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.”

Leading Change was awarded a coveted ‘TDN Rising Star’ tag for his eye-catching debut when winning by six-and-a-half lengths over seven furlongs at Churchill Downs on 7 June. A half-brother to Kentucky Oaks winner Shedaresthedevil, he was asked next to contest the following month’s G2 Indiana Derby, proving that the step straight into Graded Stakes company was more than justified when beating Our Moneyman. He handled another step up in trip to ten furlongs at Saratoga with aplomb to open up his options across some smart races this autumn.