First Resort rejoins Road to Kentucky Derby in John Battaglia Memorial

Feb 17, 2025 Kevin Kerstein/Kentucky Racing Communications

First Resort rolls in the Kentucky Jockey Club

First Resort rolled to his first stakes win in the Kentucky Jockey Club (Photo by Coady Media)

FLORENCE, Ky. (Feb. 15, 2025) – The Road to the Kentucky Derby rolls into Turfway Park Racing & Gaming Saturday for the 43rd running of the $175,000 John Battaglia Memorial, where Godolphin’s Kentucky Jockey Club (Grade II) winner First Resort leads an over-subscribed field of 12 3-year-olds plus two also-eligibles.

Run at 1 1/16 miles, the John Battaglia Memorial will go as the featured seventh race on the 10-race program with a post time of 8:55 p.m. (all times Eastern). First post is 5:55 p.m.

First Resort, a homebred son of Uncle Mo, has been training at Turfway Park through the winter in preparation for his 3-year-old debut. Under the care of Eoin Harty, First Resort stamped himself as a Kentucky Derby prospect with a 2 1/4-length victory in the Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) at Churchill Downs.

Prior to that start, First Resort won his debut at Ellis Park by 3 1/2 lengths before finishing second in the Saratoga Special (GII). Jockey Luis Saez, who guided First Resort to victory in the Kentucky Jockey Club, retains the mount from post No. 9.

Among First Resort’s challengers are several of Turfway Park’s most accomplished 3-year-olds including J S Stables’ Leonatus Stakes winner Baby Max; Rose Hill Farm, Vincent Colbert, John Trumbulovic and James Connor’s Turfway Prevue winner Comin in Hot; and Aaron and Victoria Haberman’s California Burrito, an eye-catching allowance winner over the Tapeta surface.

Several talented 3-year-olds are set to make their first start at Turfway, including Three Diamonds Farm’s Calling Card, a New York-bred maiden special weight winner by 17 1/4 lengths; Back Racing and Run for LaRoses’ Maximum Promise, who scored a 14 1/2-length maiden victory at Ellis Park; and Mens Grille Racing’s two-time stakes winner Studlydoright.

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

Spirit Rags (Santo Sanjur, Marcelino Salas)
Shan (Albin Jiminez, Ed Moger Jr.)
Studlydoright (Xavier Perez, John Robb)
Calling Card (Gerardo Corrales, Mike Maker)
California Burrito (Irving Moncada, Tom Drury Jr.)
Banks (Adam Beschizza, Joe Sharp)
Baby Max (Abel Cedillo, Kelsey Danner)
King of Ashes (Declan Cannon, Brendan Walsh)
First Resort (Saez, Harty)
Coming in Hot (Edgar Morales, John Ennis)
Brereton’s Baytown (Marshall Mendez, Paul McEntee)
Maximum Promise (Luan Machado, Kenny McPeek)

AE: Special Caliber (Evin Roman, Michel Douaihy)
AE: Maitre D (Evin Roman, Doug O’Neill)

The John Battaglia Memorial will award the top 5 finishers qualifying points on a 20-10-6-4-2 scale toward a spot in the starting gate for the $5 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (GI).

The Road to the Kentucky Derby returns to Turfway Park on Saturday, March 22, for the $777,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks (GIII), a key stop in the Championship Series.

For more information about racing and gaming from Turfway Park, visit www.turfway.com.

  • Ticket Info

    Sign up for race updates and more

FOLLOW FOR UPDATES AND EXCLUSIVES

Missed something? Catch up on past Kentucky Derby news