Battaglia to hand Derby reins over to Tammaro
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Mike Battaglia, the morning-line maker at Churchill Downs in Louisville since 1974, a span of 51 Kentucky Derbies, will retire prior to the opening of Churchill’s spring meet on April 26, according to an announcement released by Churchill on Friday.
Battaglia, whose morning line has identified the favorite in 39 of his 51 Derbies, will hand the reins over to Nick Tammaro, a veteran handicapper and linemaker, Churchill said. The April 26 card will include a ceremony honoring Battglia, who was also the announcer at Churchill from 1977-1997.
“I’m very appreciative of everyone at Churchill Downs for the opportunity over the years,” said Battaglia, 75, in a release. “It’s been a great run, but I felt like it was the right time to step away and let someone else take it forward.”
Battaglia, who was inducted into the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame in 2017, was introduced to racing through his father, John Battaglia. The younger Battaglia called the races for 44 years at Turfway before retiring from that role in 2016. His last call at Turfway was for the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes.
Tammaro currently sets the morning line for Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington and is the track announcer and player development manager at Sam Houston Race Park in Texas. He is also employed by TwinSpires.com, Churchill’s account-wagering operation, as a handicapper.
“It’s an honor to take over for Mike,” Tammaro said. “He’s a legend in our industry and someone I’ve looked up to for a long time. I just hope to do his line justice.”
The Derby morning line is notoriously difficult to set due to the large field. The job is getting harder in the modern era, with horses making fewer and fewer starts prior to running in the Derby.
“I’m really looking forward to setting the line for this year’s Kentucky Derby,” Tammaro said. “It’s an extremely competitive group of 3-year-olds. … As you know in this game, anything can happen.”
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