Tipsheet: 2026 John Battaglia Memorial Stakes

An overflow cast of 13 sophomores will run 1 1/16 miles over the Tapeta surface at Turfway Park in Saturday’s $175,000 John Battaglia Memorial S. The 2026 Road to the Kentucky Derby challenge series event will reward the top five finishers with qualifying points on a 20-10-6-4-2 basis. 

Battaglia Stakes Picks

• #7 Attfield
• #11 Fulleffort
• #1 Street Beast
• #12 Two Out Hero

Battaglia Stakes Wagers

• $15 win and place #7 Attfield
• $4 exacta key box 7 with 1,11,12
• 20-cent superfecta 7 with 1,11,12 with 1,11,12 with all

Battaglia Stakes Contenders

#1 STREET BEAST: Ben Colebrook's trainee bagged the Leonatus S. on the oval in wire-to-wire fashion last time out and rates an obvious chance from the rail. Multiple stakes-winning son of Street Sense has room to improve in his second run of the season with Luan Machado in the irons. 

#2 STEEL IMPERIUM: The $510,000 son of Essential Quality roared home to a sharp debut win sprinting on the course, but faces a stiff test in his second lifetime showing. The Caramori pupil overcame a slow break in his win and could be a fine prospect going forward, but he will have to answer both distance and class questions in this one. Dylan Machado has the call. 

#3 MAXIMUS PRIME: Maiden has failed to hit the board in four straight and looks like an outsider in this spot. He is hard to suggest with Walter Rodriguez in the silks. 

#4 KILO TANGO: First of two from the Brad Cox barn closed from well back to graduate in his local debut last time out and faces much better in this one. The expensive Candy Ride colt is moving in the right direction, but he will need marked improvement to take down this cast under De La Cruz. 

#5 BAYTOWN DREAMER: McEntee owns two minor stakes placings from six prior stakes tries and would need a lifetime best in this one to make the frame at big odds beneath Orlando Bocachica. 

#6 TIME FOR MONEY: Not This Time colt was fourth in an allowance tilt on the surface last time out and will rise in class today as a longshot. The bay has yet to run fast enough to beat a field of this caliber, and the $180,000 yearling is hard to endorse off of his last with Danny Sheehy riding. 

#7 ATTFIELD: Top pick flashed a lot of ability on the grass as a juvenile in the Empire State and seems well spotted for his sophomore debut for Thomas Morley. The chestnut son of Vekoma was a visually impressive winner in the Central Park S. on the Aqueduct lawn in his two-year-old finale and has trained well in the interim. He will be a menace at the top of the lane with Santana retaining the ride. 

#8 GREAT WHITE: Exotics contender from the Ennis shedrow looked good in a sprint win at first asking on the oval prior to running evenly in the recent Leonatus in his route and stakes bow most recently. The Volatile gelding could improve second time going long and challenge for a share late beneath Achard. 

#9 STOP THE CAR: Brendan Walsh trainee is something of a wildcard in the race while making his debut on the synthetic in this one. The Maximum Security colt won his first two races on the main oval in nice fashion and comes off of a mostly even try in the Lecomte (G3). If the colt likes the Tapeta, then he will be a contender with Edgar Morales in the stirrups. 

#10 ACES HONOR: Ethan West charge bagged the Texas Turf Mile in his latest foray and will try this surface for the first time in his career. The talented chestnut has speed and improving form, but he is facing a solid cast here in his local bow and will need another step in the right direction to challenge the major players late with Victor Carrasco on board. 

#11 FULLEFFORT: Second from the Cox barn was a late-running second in the Leonatus here last time and will be a menacing sort late with expected improvement second time off the layoff. The $425,000 son of Liam’s Map gets more ground with which to work with on Saturday, and if he receives a favorable pace set up, then the Kentucky-bred will be a formidable foe inside the final furlong under the guidance of Vincent Cheminaud. 

#12 TWO OUT HERO: Stakes winner from the barn of Kevin Attard ran a trio of very good races as a juvenile, capped by a close third in the Summer (G1) on the Woodbine lawn. The War Front colt was a 12-length victor in his lone run on the all-weather in advance of this tilt, and the $240,000 yearling purchase has trained in solid fashion in the interim, as well. Having regular rider Rafael Hernandez in the silks is a bonus, too. 

#13 SMALL TOWN: Michael McCarthy's charge was a very nice winner on the grounds in his debut sprinting, but will go long and face stakes foes, all while breaking from the widest post on this occasion if he draws into the field. The Speightstown colt appears to have a very bright future, but this is a tall ask for the colt at this stage of his development.