California Burrito (Army Mule) is the newest player on the 'Road to the Kentucky Derby,' earning 20 points with a gate-to-wire win in Saturday night's John Battaglia Memorial Stakes at Turfway Park.
Shaken up for the lead from mid-gate, the 7-2 shot, who came off a 7 1/4-length win going just a 1/16th shorter on the local Tapeta Jan. 24, showed the way along the inside through fractions of :24.50 and :49.41 with 37-1 longshot Maitre D (Game Winner) keeping him honest to the outside and 2-1 race favorite Baby Max (Maximus Mischief) also looming a threat while three wide around the far turn. Turning for home, the top pair opened up a sizeable gap back to Maximum Promise (Maximum Security) who ran on into third with California Burrito besting Baby Max narrowly in a final time of 1:45.98 for the 1 1/16-mile trip.
“His first race was sort of a head-scratcher,” trainer Tommy Drury said. “We knew we'd be able to be aggressive with him entering for the $150,000 claiming tag because of that, and it actually gave him a confidence boost. Watching these 3-year-olds develop is like watching teenagers and trying to pick out which ones will make it to the NBA–it's so difficult at this stage.
“His last race, he got an easy lead and did everything on his own, so we really didn't know a lot about him,” he said. “Tonight, he made the lead very easily again but the way he battled back against Baby Max told us a lot. He has a lot of fight in him. He doesn't need the lead, he's worked behind horses in the morning.”
The winner's dam produced a filly by sire By My Standards who is currently a juvenile and she foaled a filly by Vino Rosso last year. A half-sister to MSW Partisan Politics (More Than Ready), Bluegrass Sunset was bred to Mitole for this term.
JOHN BATTAGLIA MEMORIAL S., $173,500, Turfway, 2-22, 3yo, 1 1/16m (AWT), 1:45.98, ft.
1–CALIFORNIA BURRITO, 122, c, 3, by Army Mule
1st Dam: Bluegrass Sunset, by Hard Spun
2nd Dam: Bluegrass Princess, by Dynaformer
3rd Dam: America America, by Mister Baileys (GB)
($60,000 Ylg '23 FTKJUL). 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Aaron Haberman and Victoria Haberman; B-Westbrook Stables LLC (KY); T-Thomas Drury, Jr.; J-Irving Moncada. $102,850. Lifetime: Record: 6-3-1-0, $222,941.
2–Baby Max, 122, c, 3, Maximus Mischief–Lemon Gal, by Lemon Drop Kid. ($20,000 Ylg '23 FTKOCT). O-J S Stables LLC; B-Westbrook Stables LLC (KY); T-Kelsey Danner. $33,500.
3–Maximum Promise, 122, c, 3, Maximum Security–Paixao, by Scat Daddy. ($60,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Back Racing, LLC and Run for LaRoses, LLC; B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY); T-Kenneth G. McPeek. $16,750.
Margins: HF, 5HF, 2. Odds: 3.71, 2.31, 3.58.
Also Ran: Banks, Studlydoright, Coming in Hot, Shan, Special Caliber, King of Ashes, Maitre D, Spirit Rags. Scratched: Brereton's Baytown, Calling Card, First Resort.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
🌯🌹 California Burrito takes the John Battaglia Memorial S. and picks up 20 Kentucky Derby points! @tomdruryracing trains the 3YO and @irvingjmoncada was aboard!
🎥 TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/q5TXZgT2N4
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) February 23, 2025
This post will be updated Sunday with the full result running in Monday's edition of the TDN.
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