Battaglia top two have come into their own this winter at Turfway

Encino and Epic Ride, who earned Kentucky Derby points by running one-two in last Saturday’s John Battaglia Memorial at Turfway Park, have blossomed this winter at the Florence, Ky., track, with neither finishing worse than second in nascent careers that began in December.

However, they are not yet confirmed to move forward to the Grade 3, $700,000 Jeff Ruby, Turfway’s signature Kentucky Derby prep that has returned to prominence in recent years.

Godolphin homebred Encino, making his third career start and stakes debut in the Battaglia, got a perfect trip from an outside post and drove past favored Epic Ride in the lane for a one-length win. The Brad Cox trainee earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 89, improving more than 20 points from his maiden win – and picked up 20 points toward a spot in the Kentucky Derby starting gate.

The Battaglia was the final local prep toward the March 23 Ruby, which awards Derby points on a 100-50-25-15-10 scale. Since the prep was first run on a synthetic track in 2006, the only horse to win both it and the Derby has been Animal Kingdom, in 2011.

Turfway switched from Polytrack to Tapeta before the 2020-21 meet, and the most recent editions of the prep series have been influential. Rich Strike was third in the 2022 Ruby, drew into the Derby as an also-eligible, and pulled off the second-biggest upset in the history of the classic. Two Phil’s won last year’s edition, then was a gallant second in the Kentucky Derby.

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Assistant trainer Tessa Walden, who oversees Cox’s string at Turfway, noted that the track played a part in the championship campaign of Idiomatic last season. The decision of whether to try Encino in a dirt prep race or to remain local for the Ruby will be up to Cox.

“Brad might want to try running him on a different surface – or he might go ahead and say, ‘well, he’s had consistency here and he’s in his wheelhouse, let’s try to take the back door into the Derby.' We’ll see,” Walden said. “We had Idiomatic last year, did some training on Caravel here, we’ve had Tawny Port here – we’ve had some good horses here. . . . It probably does depend on the horse somewhat, but I feel like they’re not lacking any fitness edge leaving here to go to dirt.”

Epic Ride, who earned 10 Derby points in the Battaglia, won the Leonatus Stakes at Turfway by four lengths in front-running fashion before stalking the pace and finishing second in the Battaglia.

“I thought it was a good learning experience for him,” said trainer John Ennis, noting that under the conditions of the race, Epic Ride carried 124 pounds to Encino’s 118. “The mile and a sixteenth seemed to be fine.”

While Encino will be considered for the 1 1/8-mile Ruby, Ennis is inclined to wait for the Grade 1, $1 million Blue Grass, at the same distance on the dirt April 6 at Keeneland.

“I’d probably side with the Blue Grass because we’ll be all level weights,” Ennis said. “I think he’s a nice horse. We won’t make any decisions yet, but that’s what I’m thinking right now.”

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Both colts have pedigrees that suggest dirt isn't out of their wheelhouse – Encino, in particular. He is by 2016 Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist, sire of two-turn dirt Grade 1 winners Vequist, Slow Down Andy, and Randomized. Dam Glittering Jewel, by classic winner and outstanding broodmare sire Bernardini, is a half-sister to 2007 Derby winner Street Sense.

Epic Ride is by Breeders' Cup Classic winner Blame, a versatile sire responsible for dirt two-turn Grade 1 winners Nadal and Wet Paint, but also Grade 1-winning sprinter Marley's Freedom and French classic winner Senga. Broodmare sire Gio Ponti, unsurprisingly, has produced most of his graded stakes winners on turf, but his top runner is champion sprinter Drefong.

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