Tiz the Bomb tries Tapeta in Battaglia
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
The talented Tiz the Bomb has a chance to regroup in the $125,000 John Battaglia Memorial Stakes on Saturday night at Turfway Park, a Kentucky Derby points race on the synthetic Tapeta that could be a first step in a number of directions.
“We may shift back to grass,” trainer Kenny McPeek said. “Hopefully, this is just one step of many.”
The 1 1/16-mile Battaglia has drawn an overflow field of 14 – 12 may start – and awards its top finishers Kentucky Derby qualifying points on a 10-4-2-1 scale. It is the local prep for the Grade 3, $600,000 Jeff Ruby on April 2, designated as a major prep that awards points on a 100-40-20-10 basis.
The Battaglia is joined on Saturday’s eight-race card, which has a first post of 6:15 p.m., by the $125,000 Cincinnati Trophy for 3-year-old fillies at a mile, which awards points toward the Kentucky Oaks on the same 10-4-2-1 basis. That race is a springboard into the $250,000 Bourbonette Oaks on the Ruby undercard, which offers points on a 50-20-10-5 scale.
Tiz the Bomb was a 14 1/4-length winner going a mile at Ellis Park in a maiden race taken off the turf last July. He won that race the front end, but showed a different dimension when rallying to wins in the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile and the Grade 2 Bourbon Stakes at Keeneland – the latter made more impressive as he had broken through the gate prior to the start.
He finished a fine second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf on Nov. 5 at Del Mar.
Tiz the Bomb returned to action with a seventh-place finish in the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes on Feb. 5 at Gulfstream Park.
“He didn’t handle the sand in his face at Gulfstream,” McPeek said. “This is another opportunity to give him a little bit more schooling.”
With regular rider Brian Hernandez Jr. in Florida to ride McPeek’s Rattle N Roll in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth on Saturday, Alex Achard picks up the mount on Tiz the Bomb, who has post 10.
Stolen Base was second to Tiz the Bomb in the Bourbon for Mike Maker before finishing seventh in the Juvenile Turf. He was third in the Texas Turf Mile at Sam Houston in January, and again faces runner-up Bloodline here. Bloodline earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 82 for that effort – a number second only to Tiz the Bomb’s 84 in the Juvenile Turf.
Late-running Bloodline is one of two in this field for Brad Cox, who also has possible pacesetter Erase. Erase showed an affinity for the Turfway track by leading throughout in the Leonatus at a mile on Jan. 22. Also emerging from that race are third-place Rich Strike and fourth-place O P Firecracker.
Droppin G’s, Goldeneye, and La Belleza Negra all have posted front-running Turfway maiden wins.
The Cincinnati Trophy rematches unbeaten Marissa’s Lady and Bubble Rock, one-two in Turfway’s Valdale Stakes on Feb. 12.
Marissa’s Lady, trained by Bill Morey, won the Valdale by six lengths for her second stakes score at Turfway. Remarkably consistent, she has earned an 85 Beyer in all four of her career starts.
Bubble Rock, winner of the Grade 3 Matron Stakes last fall, was a clear second in the Valdale in her first start since finishing a troubled 12th in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.
Marissa’s Lady will be running beyond 6 1/2 furlongs for the first time. Bubble Rock’s only start at a mile came in the Breeders’ Cup.