Gary Barber's Whatawonderflworld, who thus far has shown an affinity for turf and synthetic surfaces, is among a full field of 3-year-olds entered for the $100,000 John Battaglia Memorial Stakes March 12 at Turfway Park.
The 1 1/16-mile Polytrack event is the final local prep for the $500,000 Horseshoe Cincinnati Casino Spiral Stakes (gr. III) April 2. The Spiral, at 1 1/8 miles, offers a total of 85 qualifying points under the "Road to the Kentucky Derby" system.
Whatawonderflworld, a New York-bred by Tiz Wonderful, has been based in Ocala, Fla., with trainer Mark Casse this winter. The gelding won two New York-bred races on the grass last fall, and in his 2016 debut won the OBS Championship Stakes at 1 1/16 miles Jan. 26 on the synthetic surface at the Ocala Training Center.
Whatawonderflworld finished last of six in the Feb. 13 Sam F. Davis Stakes (gr. III) on dirt at Tampa Bay Downs, but since then has worked steadily at the Ocala Training Center with his last breeze in 1:00 4/5 for five furlongs March 4.
Under the Battaglia race conditions, Whatawonderflworld will share co-high weight of 124 pounds with Warner Thoroughbreds, Lewis, and Setzer's Swagger Jagger because both have won a stakes at least one mile.
Swagger Jagger, a Florida-bred colt by Crown of Thorns , finished fourth in the OBS Championship but previously won the one-mile Pulpit Stakes on the turf at Gulfstream Park. Trained by Mike Maker, Swagger shipped to Kentucky from Florida and worked five furlongs in a bullet 1:00 2/5 March 5 at Turfway.
As expected, the connections of Shogood, who won the 6 1/2-furlong WEBN Stakes at Turfway Feb. 20, opted to pass on the Battaglia. However, Blue Wings, Surgical Strike, and Oh Oz, who finished second through fourth in the WEBN, respectively, are entered.
Turfway Park, Saturday, March 12, 2016, Race 6Entries: John Battaglia Memorial S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Sawyers Mickey (OH) Dean A. Sarvis 118 Thomas M. Amoss 30/1 2 2Blue Wings (KY) Richard A. Bracho 118 Patrick Huffman 15/1 3 3Triple Creek (KY) John McKee 118 Michael J. Maker 12/1 4 4Oh Oz (KY) Rodney A. Prescott 118 Chuck Peery 12/1 5 5Swagger Jagger (FL) Albin Jimenez 124 Michael J. Maker 3/1 6 6Bandar (KY) Sonny Leon 118 Luis A. Jurado 50/1 7 7Strike Up the Band (KY) Leandro R. Goncalves 122 Michael J. Maker 5/1 8 8Surgical Strike (KY) Orlando Mojica 118 Ben Colebrook 5/1 9 9Torrontes (KY) Sophie Doyle 118 Kellyn Gorder 8/1 10 10Whatawonderflworld (NY) Malcolm Franklin 124 Mark E. Casse 7/2 11 11Riding in the Wind (OH) Juan P. Vargas 118 Jose L. Lopez 30/1 12 12Brerry (KY) Jack Gilligan 118 Eoin G. Harty 8/1 13 13Scattered Cash (KY) T. D. Houghton 118 Kellyn Gorder 50/1 14 14Lemondrop Bold (KY) Luis J. Martinez, Jr. 118 Ben Colebrook 30/1
