The filly Absolutely Cindy scores Battaglia upset

Absolutely Cindy, the only filly in a field of 11 3-year-olds, rallied from last to post a 19-1 upset Saturday in the $100,000 John Battaglia Memorial Stakes at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky.

Bred and owned by her trainer, Keith Kinmon, Absolutely Cindy trailed down the backstretch of the 1o1/16-mile Polytrack race before launching a circling run that resulted in a 1 3/4-length triumph. Your Round, who had made a bold move in wresting command leaving the quarter pole, finished second as the 7-2 second choice, another 6 1/2 lengths before longshot Dixie Decision.

The winner returned $41.60 after finishing in 1:44.69. Orlando Mojica was aboard.

Absolutely Cindy, by Arch out of Ms. Boucheron, now has won 3 of 10 starts. Kinmon has had her on a busy and ambitious campaign since the filly won a maiden race on the Keeneland turf in her fifth career start. She then won the Caressing Stakes on the Churchill Downs turf, then registered back-to-back thirds in the Gowell at Turfway and Tropical Park Oaks at Calder. She then finished a distant sixth in the Silverbulletday on the main track at the Fair Grounds, after which Kinmon brought her back home for the Battaglia.

The Battaglia is supposed to serve as the local prep for the annual Turfway showcase, the Grade 2 Lane's End Stakes, which will be run this year on March 22. But Kinmon, who owns a farm near Turfway and has long trained a small stable at Turfway, said he will point the filly instead to the Grade 1 Ashland Stakes on the Keeneland Polytrack on April 5.

Absolutely Cindy is the first filly to win the Battaglia.

Your Round ran a big race in defeat, but the other favorites were disappointing. Big Glen, the 7-2 third choice off his victory in the Feb. 2 WEBN Stakes at Turfway, finished fourth, while Briarwood Circle, the 5-2 favorite, finished last.