Bettors getting into the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes at Turfway Park on February twenty first had their eyes set on the highest two Leonatus Stakes winners, Road Beast and Full Effort. But it surely was native prep’s fifth-place finisher, Nice White, who took the largest chunk out of Battaglia’s $174,835 purse.
Within the Leonatus Stakes on January 17, Nice White trailed and encountered tough observe, however nonetheless completed fifth by 4 3/4 lengths. The Risky gelding this time broke away cleanly from eighth place and raced inside just a few lengths of jockey Alex Achard’s tempo.
“All the pieces was in opposition to us within the final race,” Achard mentioned. “We simply got here again at present and we knew we needed to be extra aggressive and nearer. He put me on the market and did it in a great way.”
Achard positioned Nice White in third place as Road Beast and Atfield battled it out in quarter-mile increments of 23.88 minutes, 48.84 minutes and 1 minute 14.65 seconds. Poised on the surface, Nice White took management on the last nook and prolonged his lead. Full Effort, like Leonatus, moved up within the standings within the second half, however fell simply quick as Nice White accomplished 1 1/16 miles in 1:46.83.
The grey or roan gelding was bought from a TaylorMade Gross sales Company consignment on the 2024 Fasig Tipton December Digital Choose Sale by Three Chimneys Farm for $55,000. Coach John Ennis confirmed curiosity within the pup at a sale and some weeks later was approached by Three Chimneys to hitch their partnership.
“It was an honor to be requested by Three Chimneys to work with their horses,” Ennis mentioned.
Coaching nice white sharks proved troublesome, and Ennis described the problem as taking one step again for each two steps ahead. Ennis lastly took him out to race and scored his debut win at Turfway on December twelfth. This race was held previous to the ending place within the Leonatus Stakes. Ennis joined Battaglia considering there was plenty of room for enchancment.
“I’ve at all times preferred this horse, however I believed he was a bit of weak,” Ennis mentioned. “I talked to Gonzalo (Torrelba, president of Three Chimneys) and the blokes at Three Chimneys and mentioned, “Look, he is not there but. He’ll be a very good horse in the summertime, he’ll be a correct horse in the summertime, however he is simply not there but. However no matter he does at present, he’ll enhance the following day.” I feel you will see an enormous enchancment in him in each race.”
The Could 14th foal seems to be forward of schedule in attaining his true potential. Saturday’s win, which paid $32.32, gave him 20 qualifying factors on the street to the Kentucky Derby. The remainder of the highest 5 – Full Effort, Maximus Prime, Baytown Dreamer and Metal Imperium – earned factors on a 10-6-4-2 scale.
Ennis obtained his first style of the Kentucky Derby in 2024 with Epic Trip, however the horse completed second at Battaglia that 12 months and completed 14th at Churchill Downs after falling off the eligibility record.
“Issues like this do not occur to folks like me. It is loopy to be within the image now,” Ennis mentioned of the potential second-place finisher within the Kentucky Derby Introduced by Woodford Reserve.
Epic Trip gained the Mint Hundreds of thousands Invitational Stakes at Kentucky Downs final summer time, proving to be extra of a turf miler than a basic grime distance horse. Nice White’s sire, the Three Chimneys sire Risky, was a Group 1 successful sprinter. However Ennis believes the gelding can go even additional.
“This horse has much more progress,” Ennis mentioned. “He is up there with Volatil, who was clearly a quick horse, however (Nice White) does the 2 turns very effectively. I do not assume distance can be a difficulty for him.”
Whereas some could query his capacity over 1 1/16 miles because the margin of victory narrows, each Ennis and Achard believed this was partly as a result of him reaching the entrance early and ready out the competitors.
“I took the lead fairly early so it felt like I used to be alone for a short while,” Achard mentioned. “So he was getting drained and was ready for his opponent. … He’ll get higher and higher. He is enormous. Bodily he’ll change lots, and mentally as effectively.”
Jockey Ennis mentioned he believed the horse would enhance with extra time between races. He didn’t decide to returning to Turfway in 4 weeks for the March twenty first Jeff Ruby Steak, however mentioned the colt would probably make his last Derby preparation in Kentucky. The opposite possibility is the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland in six weeks on April 4, which can be Nice White’s first race on grime.
“I feel the larger the observe will get, like at Keeneland, he has the potential to get higher,” Ennis mentioned. “He is been displaying great efficiency (on grime) on the Thoroughbred Coaching Middle in Lexington. It is a deep observe.”
