John Battaglia Memorial, Cincinnati Trophy Stakes highlight first of five three-day weeks at Turfway Park

Andrew and Rania Warren’s Scoobie Quando, a debut winner in the $125,000 Turfway Preview Stakes, will attempt to add his name to the Road to the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard as the headliner in an over-subscribed field of 14 3-year-olds that entered Saturday night’s 41st running of the $150,000 John Battaglia Memorial (Listed).

The John Battaglia Memorial will go as Race 8 of 9 with a post time of 9:25 p.m. (all times Eastern). First post is 5:55 p.m.

Run at 1 1/16 miles, the John Battaglia Memorial is the final race in the Road to the Kentucky Derby Prep Season. The top 5 finishers will be awarded qualifying points on a 20-8-6-4-2 scale for a spot in the starting gate for the $3 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve on Saturday, May 6. Turfway’s Saturday program also features the $150,000 Cincinnati Trophy Stakes on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks.

Scoobie Quando crosses the wire in Turfway’s Preview Stakes in January (Photo from Turfway Park)

Trained by Ben Colebrook, Scoobie Quando debuted on Jan. 7 in the Turfway Preview where he gamely dug in to defeat Retained by a neck under jockey Luan Machado. In his last start, Scoobie Quando finished second best to Wadsworth in a first-level allowance event at Turfway.

“Timing wise, the Turfway Preview worked out well for us to run him first out,” Colebrook said. “He’s always trained like a good horse in the mornings and been the best of the company I worked him in. I’m not one to let a horse draw off on their company so I think in the (Turfway Preview) he ran to how he worked but wasn’t going to let the runner-up by him. He’s light on experience so we opted to run him in the allowance race where Luan (Machado) said once he sort of got to the outside he was able to make a better run but was just second best that day.”

Machado will be back aboard Scoobie Quando in the John Battaglia Memorial and break from post No. 4.

Chief among his rivals in the John Battaglia Memorial is SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Robert Masterson, Stonestreet Stables, Jay Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital and Catherine Donovan’s $100,000 El Camino Real Derby runner-up Gilmore. Now under the care of Brendan Walsh, Gilmore was previously conditioned by Bob Baffert in California. The gray son of Twirling Candy was the 9-5 post time favorite in the El Camino Real Derby where he finished 1 ½ lengths behind Chase the Chaos. Previously, Gilmore was bet down to odds of 1-5 in a maiden special weight contest at Los Alamitos where he easily defeated eight rivals by four lengths. Gilmore will be ridden in the John Battaglia Memorial by Joe Ramos from post 3.

Other top prospects that entered the John Battaglia Memorial include: Gary and Mary West’s undefeated Aristocracy; OXO Equine’s local allowance winner Bromley; Tami Bobo and Lugamo Racing Stable’s $150,000 Laurel Futurity winner Congruent and M Racing Group’s Gulfstream Park allowance winner Eyes On the King

The complete field for the John Battaglia Memorial from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

Grade IIId winner Fun and Fiesty to make Tapeta debut un Cincinnati Trophy Stakes

Lucky Seven Stable’s Grade III winner Fun and Feisty is set to make her first try on the Turfway Tapeta surface against eight 3-year-old fillies that entered Saturday’s 41st running of the $150,000 Cincinnati Trophy Stakes.

The Cincinnati Trophy Stakes was carded as Race 6 with a post time of 8:25 p.m. (all times Eastern). Saturday’s first of nine races will get underway at 5:55 p.m.

Fun and Fiesty (outside) works with Stellar Lady at Turfway Park (Photo from Turfway Park)

The Cincinnati Trophy Stakes is the final race in the Road to the Kentucky Oaks Prep Season. The one-mile contest will offer the top 5 finishers points on a 20-8-6-4-2 scale in their attempt to qualify for a spot in the starting gate for the $1.25 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI) to be run Friday, May 5. The Cincinnati Trophy is the co-headlining race of the night along with the $150,000 John Battaglia Memorial on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

Fun and Feisty, trained by Kenny McPeek, broke her maiden in her third start on Arlington Million Day at Churchill Downs. The daughter of Midshipman returned one month later in the $300,000 Pocahontas (GIII) where she rallied in deep stretch for a 3 ½-length score. In her last two starts, Fun and Feisty finished a disappointing eighth in the $500,000 Alcibiades (GI) and third in the $200,000 Rags to Riches. The Cincinnati Trophy Stakes will be Fun and Feisty’s first start in more than four months. Jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. will have the riding assignment from post No. 9.

Chief among Fun and Feisty’s rivals in the Cincinnati Trophy is LNJ Foxwoods and Clearsky Farms’ Botanical, who will attempt her first stakes try following two dominant victories at Turfway. Two starts ago, the Brad Cox-trained Botanical broke her maiden by 10 ¾ lengths in a one-mile maiden special weight contest. In her last start seven weeks ago, Botanical cruised to a front-running 4 ½-length allowance victory under jockey Chris Landeros. Botanical will break from post 3 in the Cincinnati Trophy with Landeros in the irons.

Another top filly that entered the Cincinnati Trophy Stakes is Keith Grass’ recent $125,000 Valdale Stakes winner B G Warrior. Trained by Ron Kahles, B G Warrior pulled a shocking 41-1 upset victory three weeks ago in the Valdale. Previously, the daughter of Run Away and Hide crossed the wire first in the $125,000 Gowell Stakes but drifted out in late stretch and was disqualified to second. The two-time winner will be ridden by David Haldar from post 7.

The complete field for the Cincinnati Trophy Stakes from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

Fans can watch and wager on the John Battaglia Memorial and Cincinnati Trophy Stakes on www.TwinSpires.com, the official wagering provider of Churchill Downs Incorporated and the Kentucky Derby.

Turfway Park