Battle of Midway likely to go in Oklahoma Derby

DEL MAR, Calif. – Battle of Midway, who finished third in the Kentucky Derby and most recently was sixth in the Haskell Invitational, worked five furlongs in 1:03.40 early Thursday morning under jockey Flavien Prat and is likely to head to Remington Park for the Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby on Sept. 24, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said.

Battle of Midway had been under consideration for the Grade 2, $250,000 Del Mar Derby on turf on Sept. 3, but Hollendorfer said he will remain on dirt for now.

“He runs well on dirt,” Hollendorfer said. “We’ll keep him on dirt.”

Battle of Midway won the Grade 3 Affirmed at Santa Anita and was second in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby this year.

Also on Thursday, a pair of top contenders for the Grade 1, $300,000 Del Mar Debutante for 2-year-old fillies on Sept. 2 worked, with Poetic going five furlongs in 1:00.20 under Mike Smith for trainer Richard Mandella, and Just a Smidge six furlongs from the gate in 1:12.60 under Martin Garcia for trainer Bob Baffert.