Affirmed Stakes likely next for Battle of Midway
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
ARCADIA, Calif. – Battle of Midway, a well-beaten third in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs last Saturday, is likely to have his next start in the Grade 3 Affirmed Stakes at Santa Anita on June 24, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said Thursday.
The $100,000 Affirmed Stakes is run at 1 1/16 miles for 3-year-olds.
“He may very well run in the Affirmed,” Hollendorfer said. The Derby “was a tough race. He ran very well.”
Second in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 8, Battle of Midway was 40-1 in the Kentucky Derby. Battle of Midway was third for the first half-mile and was within a half-length of eventual winner Always Dreaming with a quarter-mile remaining before fading through the stretch. Battle of Midway finished 7 3/4 lengths behind Always Dreaming and five lengths behind runner-up Lookin At Lee.
Hollendorfer ruled out a start in the Belmont Stakes on June 10.
“We weren’t thinking about that,” he said.
Owned by Don Alberto Stable and WinStar Farm, Battle of Midway has won 2 of 5 starts and earned $490,000.
Songbird, the two-time champion, worked five furlongs in 59 seconds for Hollendorfer on Thursday, preparing for the Grade 1 Beholder Mile at Santa Anita on June 3. Songbird has not raced since finishing second in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff here last November, the only loss of her 12-race career.
