Turfway Park hosts a pair of Derby points races over their synthetic course, and this 1 1/16 mile contest will be the first of those. Rich Strike parlayed a 4th place finish in this race and a 3rd place finish in the Jeff Ruby Steaks into one of the most improbable Derby wins in history back in 2022. Whether or not any Cinderella Story is getting started this year in this race remains to be seen.
Turfway Park, Race 9: The $175K John Battaglia Memorial Stakes (Post Time: 9:55 PM EST)
42 Total Derby points (20-10-6-4-2)
1 – Street Beast – (5-2 ML): The morning line favorite in this contest passed the Tapeta test last month when he ran in the Leonatus Stakes here on a chilly night. He earned his stripes on the turf as a two year old, winning twice at Kentucky Downs, including a dominating score in the million dollar Global Tote Juvenile Mile. He ran well to be 4th in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. He went to the front end in the Leonatus Stakes and led every step of way, winning by a length over Fulleffort, who he’ll see again today. He did break from the outside that day and he was able to clear that field with relative ease, while setting some slower fractions without ever really being pressured. With his running, he’s earned the right to be the favorite. He has the pole position and should be able to secure the relatively easy once again. The question that I think you’ll have to ask yourself will be whether or not you think he can improve off that effort. Each race in this series at Turfway gets a little bit deeper and the horses travel a little farther. He’ll be on my tickets, but I think I’d want better value when playing to win.
2 – Steel Imperium (15-1 ML): This second time starter is an interesting player in this race. He debuted here two weeks ago in a maiden allowance race where he was dismissed at 11-1. He broke slow, spotting the field a few lengths in the early stages. He settled near the back of the pack before advancing along the inside. He made a bold move, while swinging out into the five path at the top of the lane, and he was easily able to go by the leaders, drawing off to win by four lengths. The dam has produced a few stakes winners, including a multiple grade stakes winner on Tapeta at two turns. Essential Quality has had 27 starters over a synthetic course so far, and three of them have returned home winners, with seven others hitting the board. Expectations are high for this colt, as his connections paid $510K for him back in August of 2024. His trainer, Caio Caramori is only 1-15 with his second time starters routing for the first time, and that winner came in 2022 in a cheap maiden special weight at Belterra. While I have some questions, I liked the effort last out and he clearly can handle this course. I do believe there is quality there, and if he’s on the board at or around his morning line number, I think he’d be worth taking a shot with.
3 – Maximus Prime (30-1 ML): It’s hard to endorse maidens in these kinds of races, especially when the horse has had seven chances to break through. While he’s faced some nice horses, it’s not like he’s been lining up against beasts in the maiden races. He ran okay to be third last time out against fellow maidens on this course, but this feels like a huge reach.
4 – Kilo Tango (12-1 ML): This son of Candy Ride is one of two runners that Brad Cox is planning to send out in this race. His connections paid $575K for him as a yearling, so he’s another runner that has had great expectations. Nothing stood out about his first two starts, but he did improve when going one mile on the Tapeta here at Turfway last month. He settled near the back of the pack in that maiden allowance race as some longshots were battling up front. He advanced steadily and came over the top, widest of all, and was able to run down a promising first time starter. He was treated with Lasix for that race and that will not be an option for him here. I’m leaning toward others.
5 – Baytown Dreamer (30-1 ML): The most experienced runner in the field takes his third shot in a Derby Points race for Paul McEntee. He actually ran pretty well in the Smarty Jones to be 4th behind Strategic Risk. He came back in the Southwest and was drawn outside in a large field. He was wide every step of the way, which did him no favors. He finished second to last in that race, never coming close to threatening the winner. He broke his maiden on the turf and he finished third behind Street Beast in stakes company at Kentucky Downs. While three of the horses in this field have beaten him outright on the grass, his effort in the Smarty Jones suggests that he might be a little better than he was the last time he met them. I don’t see him as a serious win candidate in this race, but there’s a world where this hard trying son of Mendelssohn sneaks into the trifecta at a huge price.
6 – Time for Money (30-1 ML): This son of Not This Time was well-backed in an allowance race here at the end of December when he was last seen. However, he blew the break and spotted that field several lengths. He was out of the picture for a while, but he did make a solid move toward the front while swinging very wide off the turn. He might have performed better had he been able to switch leads sooner. He got a little tired late and wound up finishing 4th. I don’t think that field was particularly good and now he’s facing several stakes winners in this race. I do think he’s better than his last start. He was gelded after that race, so perhaps that will lead to him being a little more professional on the track. He’s another one that isn’t crazy to toss in at the bottom of a trifecta, but a win seems unlikely.
7 – Attfield (8-1 ML): Tom Morley sends out the lone NYRA based runner here as this son of Vekoma is set to make his three year old debut. He was a winner in the Central Park Stakes on the turf at Aqueduct when he made his last start back in November. He had three solid efforts on grass to start his career. Turf horses are at a little bit of a crossroads right now and since his connections nominated him for the Triple Crown Series, this feels like a good spot to at least test the waters and potentially earn Derby Points while doing so. There is a path for 2-3 horses to use these two races at Turfway in order to gain entry into the starting gate for the Kentucky Derby. Morley brought him back to the worktab at Belmont a little more than a month ago. He has a solid track record with runners coming back off layoffs, so I do expect he’ll be fit enough for this race. How he handles the synthetic course is the big mystery with these turf horses. Street Beast made a seamless transition, but there are other turf horses that aren’t the same on this course. I never want to take a short price on a horse that is trying something new for the first time, so if this one goes off at or around his 8-1 figure, I’d definitely be on board playing him. If he’s 5-1 or below, I feel like the risk starts to outweigh the reward.
8 – Great White (15-1 ML): John Ennis sends out this Volatile colt for his third career start. He was a winner on debut in a sprint here in December He tried stakes company in the Leonatus Stakes in his last start and he ran an even 5th that evening. He was away a beat slow which caused him to lose position when breaking from the rail. The pace set by Street Beast was on the slower side, which certainly didn’t help his cause. However, he wasn’t really gaining the same way that Fulleffort was. I prefer others in this spot.
9 – Stop the Car (8-1 ML): I thought this horse was a sneaky longshot when he last ran in the Lecomte Stakes at the Fair Grounds last month. I didn’t love the ride or the trip he got in that race, but at the end of the day, he wasn’t good enough. Brendan Walsh changes gears by shipping him here and trying a synthetic course for the first time. I liked both of this colt’s wins on dirt at Keeneland and Churchill, so if his form can translate to the synthetic course, I think he’ll be dangerous with this group. Horses sired by Maximum Security have won 11% of their synthetic races. Two of the dam’s six runners have had experience on a synthetic course, with one of them winning a race. Brendan Walsh has good numbers on synthetic, but he only has 3 winners from 62 starters (5%) that go from dirt to synthetic over the last five years. He’s another one that has a shot, but I’m leaning in some other directions.
10 – Aces Honor (15-1 ML): He’s shipping here after scoring a front-running win in the Texas Turf Mile where he made his last start. He only beat three horses in that race, but he was also impressive when breaking his maiden at the Fair Grounds in a larger field two starts back. He’s another runner that will be making his first start on this synthetic Tapeta track. His trainer, Ethan West has poor numbers on synthetic overall of late, winning only twice (6%) with runners on this surface in the last year. I can look past that, but the running style is what concerns me for this colt. I think Street Beast is much more likely to make the lead. He’s likely going to have to cover more ground than that one. I think this is going to be a much tougher spot than his last race, and I’m not sure he’s going to rate kindly in this race.
11 – Fulleffort (3-1 ML): This Liam’s Map colt has been favored in his last four starts for Brad Cox, including his last start when he made his local debut in the Leonatus Stakes. He was last early on in that race and he made a sustained, grinding bid to get into second that night. This colt started to put things together three starts ago when he broke his maiden at the end of the Kentucky Downs meet. He was excellent when winning a N2L allowance at Keeneland in his subsequent start. His turn of foot wasn’t as strong on this course as it was on the grass in Lexington. With a larger field and more on the line, I do expect the pace to be more honest this evening. He has a race over the course now and he’s adding distance. He’s likely going to have to pass a lot of horses though, meaning that he’s likely going to have to go wide or work out a trip in between runners. He’s another contender in a wide open race.
12 – Two Out Hero (7-2 ML): Kevin Attard had this War front colt wintering in Florida after three strong efforts in Canada to start his career. He crushed a maiden field by 12 lengths in his only start on Tapeta there on debut. He came back to win the Soaring Free Stakes on the turf in his second start. Those strong efforts made him a contender in the Grade 1 Summer Stakes in September. It’s worth pointing out that race, which is usually a one turn mile, was contested over the inner turf course this year at Woodbine, making it a two turn mile. He ran a solid effort to be third, beaten only one length that day. He’s been sidelined since that race, gearing up for a three year old campaign. His regular rider, Rafael Hernandez, follows him here. The outside post is going to be tricky for him, especially since he wants to be forward. Finding some way to save ground is going to be a challenge, but he’s another one that could win this race.
13 (AE) – Small Town (12-1 ML): So far this colt has been the only winner for Michael McCarthy at this meet. He was an impressive maiden winner when going six furlongs here last month. If he does draw into this field, going two turns for the first time in stakes company, while also trying to do that from the far outside post, is a big ask of any horse. If he can do that, he’s a serious race horse that has a bright future in front of him. While it’s possible, it feels unlikely, especially considering the fact that there are talented runners here with more experience.
The verdict: 2-7-1
This is about as wide open as a race as you’ll see on the Derby Trail. While I’d love to tell you I have a strong opinion in this race, I’d be lying through my teeth if I did. Street Beast (#1) is a deserving favorite and there are definitely things to like. He’s one that I’d need to have covered on multi-race tickets, but I’d have a hard time playing him at 5-2 or lower in this race. While he should be able to be on the lead, he should be under more pressure early in this race. I also worry about what kind of trip he’ll have if he concedes the lead to someone from an outside post. He’s been a very good gate horse, but Luan Machado has felt comfortable letting him settle off the speed in order to avoid engaging in a duel.
I’ll try for a price and make the second time starter, Steel Imperium (#2) the top pick. I don’t know if he can improve off his last start, but I can say that he’s bred to improve. His maiden score was visually impressive and the speed figures weren’t terrible either. He’s wheeling back in two weeks and routing for the first time, so there are clear question marks. However, at longer odds, I think he’s worth considering.
If Attfield (#7) is there at a nice price, I’ll be suing him. He was good enough to win a stakes race on the NYRA circuit on the turf when going two turns for the first time. The surface here is the question mark, but there are plenty of options upcoming on the grass if the Tapeta here isn’t it for this son of Vekoma. All three starts so far were solid, so I could see him running a good race here to start off his 2026 campaign.
We’ll have coverage of every North American Derby Points Race, along with plenty of coverage leading up to the 152nd Kentucky Derby on May 2nd, 2026. Current futures odds from Circa or Caesars-William Hill will be provided as they are available. Feel free to reach out on Twitter @EricSolomon718.
