Tiz the Bomb Regroups in Battaglia at Turfway

For the first time since last fall, the Road to the Kentucky Derby series returned to Kentucky on the evening of March 5 when Lawn Park held $125,000 John Battaglia Memorial Stocks.

The most notable of the 12 participants and two who were also matched were Tiz the Bomb runner-up at last year’s Breeders ‘Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) in Del Mar. Other notable 3-year-olds in the 1/16-mile race on Tapeta include Rich Strike , Facility is stolen , On thin ice , Erase and Lineage .

Battaglia is a qualifying round for the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) at Churchill Downs, which provides scores on a 10-4-2-1 scale for the top four finishers. Fasig-Tipton Fasig-Tipton Bonuses of Youth Stakes (G2), Gotham Stakes (G3) and San Felipe Stakes (G2) on a 50-20-10-5 basis.

Battaglia continues to act as the last local staking step towards $600,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) at Turfway April 2.

Tiz the Bomb (Hit it a bomb ) finished seventh in Holy Bull Stakes (G3) on his season debut on February 5 at Gulfstream Park, then coach Kenny McPeek indicated the pony would be shown to Jeff Ruby and considered for foreign turf races. He runs on Saturday for Sherri McPeek’s Magdalena Racing after previously racing for the besieged ownership group Phoenix Thoroughbreds.

Shortly after Saturday night in Battaglia, Turfway hosted a small qualifying round for the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1), the $125,000 Cincinnati Trophy for 3-year-olds.