Banks, already a two-time winner around two turns at Turfway, makes his stakes debut in Saturday night’s $125,000 Leonatus Stakes, a one-mile tilt for 3-year-olds hopeful of getting on Turfway Park’s road to the Kentucky Derby. The Leonatus Stakes also kicks off the late pick five, which starts Saturday's card with a $97,874 carryover.
The Leonatus leads into Turfway’s races offering the top finishers qualifying points toward the Derby – the $174,000 John Battaglia Memorial (20-10-6-4-2) at 1 1/16 miles on Feb. 22 and the Grade 3, $777,000 Jeff Ruby (100-50-25-15-10) on March 22. The series has produced a number of Derby starters in recent years. In 2022, Rich Strike ran through the Turfway series, finishing third in the Leonatus, fourth in the Battaglia, and third in the Ruby before pulling off the second-biggest upset in Kentucky Derby history; Ruby winner Tiz the Bomb was ninth behind him. The 2023 Ruby winner, Two Phil’s, was runner-up in the Derby. Last year, Epic Ride won the Leonatus before finishing second to Encino in the Battaglia. Both had strong final preps on dirt at Keeneland before being entered in the Derby. Encino was scratched the week of the race, allowing Epic Ride to draw in as an also-eligible. He finished 14th.
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Banks will be among the favorites to add his name to the list of Leonatus winners. The gelding was second on debut in a key race sprinting on the Keeneland dirt in October where the top three all came back to be next-out winners. Banks was claimed out of that effort for $30,000 by trainer Joe Sharp, on behalf of Tom Lambro. The gelding won his next outing, an auction-restricted maiden special weight at a mile, by 5 1/4 lengths on Dec. 5 at Turfway. He then was a two-length winner over Hard as Life, who he faces again here, in an allowance/optional-claiming race at a mile on Dec. 28.
Banks doesn’t tower over this field in terms of speed figures. He earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 78 in his most recent start, narrowly second best to a 79 at Turfway for Chunk of Gold, although that was in a sprint in his lone start. Can’t Deny It and Church and State own career bests of 76, while Hard as Life earned a 75 last out. What sets Banks apart is that his best efforts have come locally, around two turns – and his seeming tactical ability. He has sat just off the pace and cleared in his two wins, but seems like a handy sort who could be closer or even dictate terms if the pace requires, and there appears a lack of committed speed in the Leonatus.
Shan has posted his wins from the front end, but they were in lower-level dirt sprints at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Some other logical candidates here would be hampered by a lack of pace to rally into, including Hard as Life; Baby Max, a two-turn maiden winner who was a close second in a Turfway mile last out with a wide trip; and Up to No Good, third as a longshot in the Turfway Prevue on Jan. 4.
Can’t Deny It and Church and State should be in the vanguard with Banks. Church and State has won both of his outings at Woodbine, including an allowance at a mile and 70 yards last out. Can’t Deny It won his debut sprinting on the Fair Grounds turf and should go longer. He is by Triple Crown winner Justify and out of the Galileo mare Moth, third in the English 1000 Guineas. The cross of Justify over Galileo has already produced the likes of champion City of Troy.
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