It has been awhile since the John Battaglia Memorial for three-year-olds had any real bearing on the Kentucky Derby, but the winner often ends up as the standout local hope for the $200,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3), which will be run on March 9. That race produced Animal Kingdom, the 2011 Kentucky Derby winner, and saw future $1.5 million earner Oscar Nominated win in 2016.
The John Battaglia is typically won by a hard knocking local type, with names like Royal Son, Magna Graduate, and Champali in the last 15 editions. This year the race has drawn a full field of 12, including some genuinely talented sorts.
#1 Kentucky Allstar won an allowance race at a mile here on January 19; this $75,000 contest is only a sixteenth further. #2 Wallace was a stakes winner sprinting on the grass at Woodbine over the summer. #3 Dynamic Racer has won two of his last four and has a bullet work here on February 1st, the fastest of 18 at the five furlong distance in :59.4.
#4 Dabo ships in from Florida where he ran fifth on the turf at Gulfstream for Dale Romans. He is a handsome and well-regarded son of Temple City. #6 Zulu Legend has won two in a row at Mahoning Valley just a brisk drive North. #6 Over Protective was an impressive maiden breaker here on January 11, winning by 6 ½.
#7 Somelikeithotbrown is one of the more established horses in the field, exiting the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) last out. The Mike Maker-trainee ran third that day, and often times turf form translates to Turfway Park’s synthetic main track. Somelikeithotbrown has been second or third in three straight stakes since breaking his maiden at Saratoga by eight lengths.
#8 Maya Solomea took seven tries to break his maiden for Adolfo Macias. #9 Naughty Joker is a Wesley Ward trainee for Ken and Sarah Ramsey; she is a filly daughter of Into Mischief and broke her maiden at Churchill Downs last out. #10 Echo Alpha Six is coming out of a turf sprint at the Fair Grounds. #11 Bermejo (Fr) is Team Valor International’s entrant shipping in from France; they owned Animal Kingdom.
#12 The Mackem Bullet (Ire) is the second filly in the race trained by Ward. Group 1 placed in England, she ran sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) and has since won an allowance race at Turfway by 10 ½ lengths.
This race is an interesting matchup between two former grass stars who switch to the all weather track here.
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