Takeaways from 2024 John Battaglia Memorial

Mar 05, 2024 James Scully

The John Battaglia Memorial S. on March 2 served as the first of two Road to the Kentucky Derby series qualifiers on Turfway Park’s Tapeta, and the 1 1/16-mile race offered points on a 20-10-6-4-2 scale toward a berth in the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby (G1) on May 4. Turfway will also offer the $700,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) on March 23, a major qualifier worth a combined 200 points (100-50-25-15-10).

Here are three takeaways from the John Battaglia Memorial.

Encino stylishly passes initial stakes test

A maiden winner the second time out in late January, Encino jumped to stakes competition in the Battaglia and broke sharply from post 10, angling in behind leaders to settle in midpack along the backstretch. He launched a wide bid on the far turn and engaged Epic Ride after straightening for home, dueling briefly before powering clear in deep stretch.

Encino finished fast, completing his final three-sixteenths of a mile in less than 31 seconds, but he netted only a 91 Brisnet Speed rating due to the tepid pace. His Speed numbers have increased in all three outings, and the dark colt jumped to 16th on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with the 20-point prize, becoming the fourth Brad Cox-trained colt in the top 20. The Kentucky Derby-winning conditioner also has Catching Freedom, Just a Touch, and Timberlake, who leads all three-year-olds with 66 points following a recent win in the Rebel (G2).

Major questions remain to be answered. Encino has raced exclusively on synthetics but with the three-week turnaround for the Jeff Ruby, he’s probably headed to a dirt track for his final Kentucky Derby prep. That will provide a better gauge on Encino’s Kentucky Derby prospects.

Encino gained 20 points on the Road to @KentuckyDerby 150 on Saturday night @TurfwayPark with a win in the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes!

Click the link below to add the @bradcoxracing trainee to your TwinSpires Stable Alerts!#NeverMissAWinner ⤵️ https://t.co/TQDDOx9jXK pic.twitter.com/Ph6SFyAm4i

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) March 4, 2024

Dam a half-sister to Street Sense

A Godolphin homebred, Encino is by 2016 Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist and is the first stakes winner from the Bernardini mare Glittering Jewel, a half-sister to 2007 Kentucky Derby and Preakness (G1) winner Street Sense.

Connections hope Encino displays the same versatility as his noted relative. Steet Sense placed in a trio of graded stakes over synthetic tracks, including a nose second in the Blue Grass (G1).

Epic Ride weakens late on stretch out

Following a pair of impressive wins at Turfway, taking a six-furlong maiden special weight by five lengths and the one-mile Leonatus S. by four lengths, Epic Ride surged to a clear lead leaving the far turn in the Battaglia, but the 1.16-1 favorite could not withstand Encino in the final sixteenth of a mile. He determinedly held second, but the added ground proved too much.

Epic Ride remains a promising sprint/middle distance type moving forward, and it will be interesting to see what connections do next.