The first of two Kentucky Derby points races at Turfway Park happens Saturday, February 22 with the John Battaglia Memorial. The 1 1/16-mile race on the Tapeta offers a $175,000 purse as well as 20-10-6-4-2 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the first five horses across the wire. It is the seventh of ten races on the Turfway card, with first post at 5:55 p.m. Eastern, 2:55 p.m. Pacific. Although it is the only stakes, there are big fields all day which means great betting opportunities all evening long.

The Battaglia has had increased importance on the three-year-old scene in recent times with winners like Encino, Tiz the Bomb, and Surgical Strike. The race also serves as the local prep for a 100-point race on March 22 at Turfway, the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3).

Make sure to check the weather and the scratches before making your wagers on Saturday. Skies are expected to be clear, though things can change between now and then. Though Turfway Park racing can happen in any kind of conditions due to the all-weather surface, scratches can happen for any reason and they may affect your picks or the pace scenario of the race.

Turfway Park Picks

Race 1: $30,000 maiden claiming, six furlongs on the Tapeta -Fascinator, Hi’iaka

FanDuel odds: 6-1 and 4-1

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Fascinator (6-1) missed by a nose at this level and distance on January 26, making her first start since May of last year and her first start for a claiming tag. It was a good enough effort to suggest that this is where she fits. She also didn’t start well, meaning a better break could move her forward. This is only her fourth career start, meaning she is still lightly-enough raced to improve, and trainer Ed Moger has a positive ROI over the last three years with horses second off the layoff and with maiden claimers in general.

Hi’iaka (4-1) is making several positive changes in this spot. She is making the biggest drop in racing, from maiden special weights to first-time maiden claiming. She also wears blinkers for the first time, a positive move for trainer John Ennis. She can continue to improve third off the lay, and after drawing wide posts in each of her last two starts, she finally gets a draw from which she can save a little ground this time. All in all, Hi’iaka is a horse with a lot of upside at this new level where she may just find her proverbial friends.

Though Runaway Kitten (5-1) has run ten times, making her an unsuitable win candidate, she is taking a step up in class after hitting the board twice at the $15,000 level on this surface. Trainer Joe Sharp often hits the board with horses who he is notching up in class like this, and her recent races are fast enough to make her worth using in underneath rungs of exotic wagers.

Race 6: Allowance optional claiming, 1 ¼ miles on the Tapeta – Welaka, Soleil Volant

FanDuel odds: 6-1 and 8-1

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This is an interesting betting race both because of the longer-than-usual distance and the fact that 3-1 morning-line favorite Swiss Slang is suspicious. He was dropped in for a tag after only one try at the level above this one, in which he turned in a bafflingly poor effort. Also, he is hemmed in on the rail, where he risks running into serious trip trouble.

Welaka (6-1) comes second off a two-month freshening. He closed for third at this level and distance on February 8, despite a flat pace in front of him. With the possibility for a little more gas in front of him with Aleman, Passing Game, and perhaps a few others, and given how sharp trainer Kelsey Danner’s record is second off the layoff, Welaka should be able to muster an improved effort this time.

Soleil Volant (8-1) has upside to move forward. He is trying a lot of new things: he is running on Tapeta for the first time, stretching to 1 ¼ miles for the first time, and is the only sophomore facing older in this spot. However, he has some interesting threads of stamina in his pedigree, making the distance worth trying. He has run good races from near the lead or well off of it. And, trainer Graham Motion is shrewd and choosy when shipping horses out for races. This isn’t a “stakes horse needs a friend in the van” kind of ship: the only horse Motion has entered at Turfway is Soleil Volant, suggesting he is well-intentioned.

Race 7: John Battaglia Memorial, 1 1/16 miles on the Tapeta – Baby Max, First Resort

FanDuel odds: 6-1 and 2-1

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Baby Max (6-1), winner of the one-mile Leonatus over this course on January 18, steps up in both distance and class for the Battaglia. However, he broke his maiden at 1 1/16 miles on dirt so the step back up in trip will be no issue. His stalking to midpack style from a cozy middle gate should help him carve out the right trip, and his form is on a gradually improving trajectory that suggests another nice effort in the Battaglia.

First Resort (2-1), the morning-line favorite, makes his first start of the year and tries Tapeta for the first time. Those mean it’s worth asking questions, given that he will likely be favored. Even at the short odds, though, there are a lot of reasons why he can run to him. He is the class of the field, having won the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) at Churchill Downs last fall. He is pace versatile, able to win a race from the front end or a good tactical stalking spot. That stalking gear should help him work a trip in this big field. And, though he has not tried synthetic before, sire Uncle Mo has been surface-versatile. His dam Fair Maiden was a Grade 1 winner on dirt, but broke her maiden in devastating fashion over an all-weather surface.

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