Although the $125,000 Leonatus Stakes on Saturday night at Turfway Park offers no Kentucky Derby points, it has become a significant on-ramp to the classics chase for locally based 3-year-olds. The one-mile Leonatus kicks off the track’s serious two-turn races for the division, leading to the $175,000 John Battaglia Memorial Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on Feb. 21, awarding points toward the Derby on a 20-10-6-4-2 basis, and the Grade 3, $777,000 Jeff Ruby on March 21, a major prep on the 100-50-25-15-10 scale. The series has been meaningful. In 2022, Rich Strike was third in the Leonatus, fourth in the Battaglia, and third in the Ruby, then drew into the Kentucky Derby as an also-eligible and pulled off the second-biggest upset in the classic’s history. In 2024, Epic Ride won the Leonatus and went on to finish second in the Battaglia and third in the Grade 1 Blue Grass at Keeneland in a dirt prep. He also drew into the Derby as an also-eligible and was 14th. He is since a Grade 3 winner on turf and multiple graded placed on dirt. Last year, Chunk of Gold was second in the Leonatus before leaving town to run on dirt. After finishing second in both the Grade 2 Risen Star and Louisiana Derby, he finished ninth in the Kentucky Derby and was a Grade 3 winner last summer. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. Valiant, a $1 million yearling coming off a local win, and Fulleffort, who owns the top Beyer Speed Figure in the field, form a strong hand in Saturday’s Leonatus for Brad Cox, whose barn has been meaningful in the Turfway series. In 2024, Encino won the Battaglia and passed his dirt test by winning the Grade 3 Lexington at Keeneland but was forced to scratch from the Derby the week of the race with an injury. Last year, Final Gambit won the Ruby and was a solid fourth in the Derby. Fulleffort, owned by St. Elias and Starlight Racing, is second choice on the morning line despite making his first start since October and switching surfaces. The Liam’s Map colt, a half-brother to Grade 1 winner Power Squeeze, is well seasoned, with all four of his starts at a mile or longer on turf – although he has been training steadily on Turfway’s Tapeta. He won his maiden going a testing mile at Kentucky Downs, besting a next-out winner with a 75 Beyer. He proceeded to win by five lengths in an allowance going 1 1/16 miles at Keeneland, earning an 82. Valiant, a son of leading sire Into Mischief, races for Grandview Equine, LNJ Foxwoods, and Hubert Vester. He won his maiden in his third career start, going a mile on dirt at Indiana and besting a next-out winner. He then won a mile allowance/optional claimer on Dec. 5 at Turfway in which multiple stakes-placed Jutland, entered in the Leonatus, was second, and stakes winner Jupiter was third. Valiant posted Beyers of 70 and 72, respectively, in those efforts and steps up in class, but could offer value with a tactical edge over his stablemate. He was on the engine in his maiden win and stalked the pace in third last time. He can adjust to the pace, while Fulleffort will want targets. The morning-line favorite, and only prior stakes winner in the field, is Street Beast, drawn outside with a short run into the turn. The Ben Colebrook trainee won his maiden over a subsequent Grade 3 winner, then won the Juvenile Mile at Kentucky Downs by seven lengths with an 81 Beyer. He finished fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. Runner-up Stark Contrast already came back to win the Eddie Logan. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.