Making just his third career start, Wathnan Racing’s Leading Change posted a 10-1 upset victory in the Grade 1, US$1.25 million Travers Stakes at Saratoga. Ridden by Manny Franco and trained by Brad Cox, the 3-year-old son of Gun Runner covered 1 1/4 miles in 2:02.98, running down Preakness winner Napoleon Solo in the stretch.
Bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm, Leading Change is out of the winning Congrats mare Starship Warpspeed. The colt commanded US$800,000 as a yearling at the Keeneland September sale. Though he’d been entered at Keeneland in October 2025, Leading Change did not debut until June 2026, when he won a seven-furlong maiden special weight at Churchill Downs. In his second career start, Leading Change won the G3 Indiana Derby by a neck.
Stepping up to Grade 1 company in the Travers, he tracked in third behind a mild early pace, angled outside in upper stretch, and wore down frontrunner Napoleon Solo by about a half-length.
It was the second Travers win for jockey Franco, whose first came before an empty grandstand aboard Tiz the Law in 2020.
