Battle of Midway changing style for Kentucky Derby
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ARCADIA, Calif. – The relatively untested Battle of Midway disputed the pace in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 8 before relinquishing the lead in the final furlong.
Battle of Midway finished second by a half-length to Gormley and earned sufficient qualifying points to secure a berth in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs next Saturday. If Battle of Midway is a factor in the famous race, he will do so with a different running style.
Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer would prefer that Battle of Midway race from off the pace, which the colt did when winning an optional claimer at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita on March 9. At Santa Anita on Friday, Battle of Midway had his final workout for the Kentucky Derby, an exercise structured so the colt would be more comfortable racing from behind.
A winner of two of four starts, Battle of Midway worked six furlongs in 1:13.40. The colt started about three lengths behind stablemate Mangita and closed on the outside in the stretch under jockey Flavien Prat to take the lead in the final furlong.
“The best thing about the work is we wanted to see that he will rate,” Hollendorfer said. “When the rider asked him, he got past. People think he’s a horse that will be on the engine, but we don’t see it that way.”
Santa Anita clockers timed Battle of Midway through an opening quarter-mile of 24.80 seconds and a half-mile in 49.20. The workout was delayed by more than 10 minutes to allow a horse ambulance to transport an injured horse off the track. During the delay, Battle of Midway and Mangita slowly jogged a mile on the main track.
Prat will ride Battle of Midway in the Kentucky Derby, the colt’s first start for Don Alberto Stable and WinStar Farm following a private purchase from Rick Porter earlier this month.
The champions Finest City and Songbird and the Grade 1 winner Abel Tasman worked on Friday in advance of stakes races.
Songbird, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2015 and 3-year-old filly of 2016, worked a half-mile in 48.40 seconds under jockey Mike Smith. Trained by Hollendorfer, Songbird is scheduled to start in the Grade 1 Beholder Mile at Santa Anita on June 3, a race formerly known as the Vanity Mile.
Songbird has not raced since finishing second to Beholder in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff here last November, the only loss of her 12-race career.
“She looks good,” Smith said. “She’s filled out quite a bit. She was getting a little skinny toward the end last year.”
Finest City worked a half-mile in 48 seconds for the Grade 1 Humana Distaff at seven furlongs at Churchill Downs next Saturday. The champion female sprinter of 2016, Finest City won the BC Filly and Mare Sprint here last November.
Abel Tasman worked seven furlongs in 1:25.60 for the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs next Friday. Trained by Bob Baffert, Abel Tasman won the Grade 1 Starlet Stakes at Los Alamitos last December and has been second in two stakes this year – the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes in March and the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks on April 8.
