The Travers Stakes 2026 results are in, and Leading Change won with a late charge to overtake Napoleon Solo.
Leading Change was making just his third career start, but was able to overtake Napoleon Solo, who jumped out to an early lead and held it through the final stretch.
Golden Tempo finished in third place, with The Puma in fourth place.
The full results and payouts for the Travers Stakes 2026 can be found here.
Golden Tempo in the Spotlight Before Travers Stakes Results
The 2026 Travers Stakes came with some high anticipation as Golden Tempo looked for a third big win after victories in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes. The “Midsummer Derby” is one of the biggest events on the racing calendar, topping off a day of races at Saratoga Race Course.
“Golden Tempo is the 5-2 favorite in the 2026 Travers Stakes odds,” noted CBS Sports. “Renegade (3-1), Sea Strike (5-1), Napoleon Solo (8-1) and The Puma (8-1) round out the top five on the odds board in the 10-horse 2026 Travers Stakes field.”
Golden Tempo dominated most of the attention at Saratoga on Saturday, with Sam Hollingsworth of the Times-Union noting that the horse had a chance to nail down a huge honor with a win.
“Horse racing’s story of the year faces yet another daunting test in what has already been an iconic 3-year-old campaign, with the Travers Stakes likely being the biggest piece of the puzzle needed to potentially solidify Horse of the Year honors for Golden Tempo,” Hollingsworth wrote.
Trainer Cherie DeVaux noted that Golden Tempo was only getting better after the Kentucky Derby win.
“He’s a horse who just continues to improve and continues to mature and change,” DeVaux said. “They do a lot of that up until their 4-year-old year, and he’s just continuing in that trend. That’s why each race we’re hoping he’s going to continue to improve, which he has done so far.”
Napoleon Solo, another contender, also came into the Travers Stakes with some question marks. Trainer Chad Summers noted that he had never faced Golden Tempo and believed he would give him a strong challenge.
“Golden Tempo is the favorite for the 3-year-old championship, but he’s never run against us before,” Summers said. “We’ll see what happens in the race.”
Travers Stakes 2026 Results & Payouts After Leading Change Win