Battaglia field still feisty and full despite First Resort scratch
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With Kentucky continuing to ride out record snowfall and deadly flooding, it sometimes seems as though winter will never end. But horse racing’s ultimate rite of spring, the Kentucky Derby, is just 10 weeks from Saturday, and while the temperature might be below freezing when a big field of 3-year-olds lines up for the $175,000 John Battaglia Memorial on Saturday night at Turfway Park, things are heating up on the local road to the classic.
Although Grade 2-winning juvenile First Resort, who was favored on the morning line, will scratch due to soreness, a full field of sophomores is still expected to line up. Many of the Kentucky-based entrants, including Turfway stakes winners Baby Max and Coming in Hot, have had their training complicated by weeks of frigid temperatures in January that shuffled Turfway’s workout and racing schedules. The track again had to scrap some weekday cards and change training hours after this week’s latest snowstorm, but no changes were expected for Saturday’s card, with a first post of 5:55 p.m.
The 1 1/16-mile Battaglia awards Kentucky Derby points to its top finishers on a 20-10-6-4-2 scale. It is the local prep for the Grade 3, $777,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks on March 22, which awards points on a 100-50-25-15-10 scale.
A two-time winner around two turns, Baby Max demonstrated an affinity for Turfway while winning the one-mile Leonatus Stakes on Jan. 18, saving ground in third under Abel Cedillo – who again has the call – before powering clear to win by 2 1/4 lengths. The effort was flattered when runner-up Chunk of Gold came back to finish second in the Grade 2 Risen Star last weekend.
“In his previous races, he’s been a little bit farther out of it,” trainer Kelsey Danner said. “He broke on top and laid off in a perfect spot.”
Baby Max, who trains at Turfway as well as Louisville's Trackside training center, had a break in his work tab, from Dec. 30 to Feb. 2, due to the weather. But Danner said she had designed a few easy weeks after the Leonatus, so the break did not come at the worst time. The colt is coming off a strong half-mile breeze on Feb. 14 at Turfway.
“He’s doing well,” Danner said. “He had a really nice breeze the other day. He’s good to go. I think if he’s not fit at this point, he won’t ever be fit and ready.”
Coming in Hot was the narrow second choice to First Resort on the Battaglia morning line, at 5-1 compared to 6-1 for Baby Max. He is racing beyond 6 1/2 furlongs for the first time after winning his first two outings on Tapeta, including the Turfway Prevue on Jan. 4. Following the Prevue, Coming in Hot, who regularly trains at the Thoroughbred Center in Lexington with John Ennis, did not have another published work until Jan. 29.
The battle-tested Studlydoright owns wins in the Tremont sprinting last June and the Nashua at a one-turn mile in November. Looking to right the ship after a pair of defeats, he is expected to run in the Battaglia instead of the Miracle Wood on Saturday at Laurel Park, where he is cross-entered.
Shan finished third in the Leonatus after showing speed and is well-drawn to again contribute to the pace from post 2. He will benefit from the scratch of First Resort, who was expected to be a classy presence in a pace-pressing role. Banks was seventh as the Leonatus favorite, never posing a threat.
Allowance-level winner California Burrito; maiden special weight winners Calling Card, King of Ashes, Maximum Promise, Special Caliber, and Spirit Rags; and claiming race winner Brereton’s Baytown complete the current field. Brereton’s Baytown is cross-entered in the Grade 2 Rebel on Sunday at Oaklawn Park, where he would be shipping from his Turfway base as a massive longshot.
Special Caliber draws in as the first also-eligible with the scratch of First Resort, leaving maiden special weight winner Maitre D as the remaining also-eligible.
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