Looking Ahead: First Resort and Spirit Rags go for Derby points in the Battaglia

Feb 21, 2025 Sara Dacus/TwinSpires.com

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)

The John Battaglia Memorial, the first of Turfway Park’s two stops on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, is Saturday. The 1 1/16-mile race on the Tapeta track offers 20-10-6-4-2 qualifying points to the top five finishers. The contest produced its first Kentucky Derby (G1) winner in 2022: Rich Strike, the longshot victor at 80-1 odds, finished fourth in the Battaglia two starts prior.

The oversubscribed field of 14, which includes two also-eligibles, features four stakes winners and three horses who have earned Derby points.

First Resort is the morning line favorite at 2-1. In his last start, he won the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) at Churchill Downs by 2 1/4 lengths, earning the highest last-race speed rating. Luis Saez, who was in the irons, retains the mount. First Resort also won his debut at Ellis Park by 3 1/2 lengths before finishing second in the Saratoga Special (G2). The bay colt is a son of leading sire Uncle Mo. He is trained by Eoin Harty for Godolphin, who has won seven Eclipse Awards as outstanding owner but does not have a Kentucky Derby victory.

Spirit Rags, 20-1 on the morning line, is among his 11 challengers. Improving in his last three starts, which were all at Turfway, he enters the Battaglia off a 3 3/4-length maiden win at one mile. Before that, he was a close second in a pair of races, finishing three-quarters of a length behind the winner in each. The Battaglia is a jump up in class for the gray colt, but he seems to have an affinity for the all-weather track and could be ready for a breakthrough performance. Before coming to Turfway, he was unplaced in five turf starts. Spirit Rags is a son of 2012 Kentucky Derby starter and Belmont S. (G1) winner Union Rags. He is conditioned by Marcelino Salas, who is in his second year of training. Spirit Rags is his top earner in his fledgling career. Jockey Santo Sanjur has the call for owner Froylan Garcia.

Turfway’s other Kentucky Derby qualifying race is the March 22 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3), a key stop in the Championship Series offering 100 points to the winner.

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