FLORENCE, Ky. – It’s easy to imagine the ominous beats of the "Jaws" soundtrack playing in the background, heralding the arrival of Great White, a massive, late-blooming gelding onto the Kentucky Derby scene.
The rangy gray, who regular rider Alex Achard described as “a big baby,” made the lead on the far turn and then held off a rallying Fulleffort by a neck to win the $175,000 John Battaglia Memorial on Saturday night at Turfway Park. The Battaglia awarded its top finishers points toward the Kentucky Derby on a 20-10-6-4-2 scale, and its winner is now headed to a major-points prep for his next outing.
Great White ($32.32), who is trained and co-owned by John Ennis with Three Chimneys Farm, was emerging from the one-mile Leonatus Stakes, an on-ramp to Turfway’s points races, last month. It was the May foal’s second career start, and first around two turns following a debut win in December. After breaking a step slowly from the rail, Great White was checked early and didn’t get his massive frame uncorked until late, finishing 4 3/4 lengths behind Street Beast.
“Everything was against us,” Achard said. “We had the one hole, and we got pinned at the rail, and everything pretty much went wrong … but it wasn’t a bad race at all, considering the setup.”
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With Achard back in the irons Saturday night – although Ennis admitted giving the rider a leg up on the big gray is a challenge – Great White was away cleanly from post 8 in the field of 11, and was allowed to run along early, setting in a free-running stalking position.
“He put me right there, and he did in in a good way,” Achard said.
The leader was, again, Street Beast, who won the Leonatus on the lead and who utilized similar tactics after breaking from the rail Saturday night. But this time, the colt was pressed by a classy foe, with stakes winner Attfield glued to him through an opening quarter-mile in 23.88 seconds on the Tapeta, and the half in 48.84. Street Beast still had his head in front of Attfield through six furlongs in 1:14.65, but those two were beginning to flag, and Great White swallowed them on the far turn with a powerful outside move.
Great White kicked clear to a 1 1/2-length lead in the stretch, but the danger was still lurking from Leonatus runner-up Fulleffort, who trainer Brad Cox said would appreciate going 1 1/16 miles – and 1 1/8 miles even more down the line. Fulleffort, who had been ninth after six furlongs, came with a strong rally down the middle of the track, but 1 1/16 miles was all he had to work with, and Great White held him off at the line.
“First thing Alex said when he came back was, ‘I was there too soon,’” Ennis said, as both trainer and jockey opined that the inexperienced Great White began waiting on horses a bit after taking the lead easily.
The final time was 1:46.83.
Maximus Prime finished 1 1/4 lengths behind Fulleffort in third. He was followed, in order, by Baytown Dreamer, Steel Imperium, Kilo Tango, Attfield, Aces Honor, Two Out Hero, Time for Money, and Street Beast, who steadily retreated and was essentially cantered across the line.
The Battaglia Memorial is the local prep toward the Grade 3, $777,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks on March 21 at Turfway, which awards points on a scale of 100-50-25-15-10 and which has been a productive prep race. Ennis said that race, along with the Grade 1, $1.25 million Blue Grass Stakes on April 4 at Keeneland, which awards points on the same scale, will be considered. It would give Great White more time between races, and would be his first start on dirt, although he trains on it at Ennis’s base, the Thoroughbred Training Center in Lexington.
But regardless of the race, Great White will be swimming in the deep waters of a serious Derby prep next out.
“The dream is alive,” said Ennis.
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