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Creative Cause Colt Survives Inquiry in Battaglia

New York-bred Hush of a Storm benefitted from a duel between his stablemate Pico d'Oro (Curlin) and even-money GISW Gretzky the Great (Nyquist) to remain perfect on the Tapeta and score a first stakes win after surviving a lengthy inquiry. A no show when unveiled in a $150,000 maiden claiming sprint at Churchill Nov. 19, the bay woke up on the surface switch and stretch out to air by 5 1/2 lengths at 14-1 odds here Dec. 19. He doubled up in an optional claimer Jan. 6, earning a 74 Beyer Speed Figure that stacked up well enough with everyone but the chalk.

Hush of a Storm tucked in along the fence towards the back as Pico d'Oro took it to Gretzky the Great through splits of :23.86 and :47.11. He advanced in between rivals heading for home, came wide for the stretch drive and continued along to hit the front in midstretch. Shifting in as he took over, Hush of a Storm appeared to trigger a chain reaction that forced Like the King to into Gretzky with Hard Rye Guy (Hard Spun) also taking up in between. After many views of a head-on replay that appeared inconclusive, the stewards let the result stand.

With the victory, Hush of a Storm earned 10 qualifying points towards the GI Kentucky Derby.

The winner is out of a full sister to pricey 2-year-old seller and MSW/MGSP Brigand (Flatter). He has a 2-year-old half-sister by Runhappy and a yearling half-brother by Mastery. Hush Now most recently visited Distorted Humor.

JOHN BATTAGLIA MEMORIAL S., $82,830, Turfway, 2-26, 3yo,
1 1/16m (AWT), 1:44.00, ft.
1–HUSH OF A STORM, 118, c, 3, by Creative Cause
                1st Dam: Hush Now, by Flatter
                2nd Dam: Silence Please, by Quiet American
                3rd Dam: Notice Me, by Distinctive
($60,000 Ylg '19 SARAUG; $75,000 2yo '20 OBSAPR).
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O-Joseph P. Morey, Jr. Revocable Trust;
B-Berkshire Stud (NY); T-William E. Morey; J-Santiago
Gonzalez. $43,710. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-0, $65,985.
2–Like the King, 118, c, 3, Palace Malice–Like a Queen, by
Corinthian. ($28,000 Wlg '18 KEENOV; $170,000 Ylg '19
OBSOCT). O-M Racing Group, LLC; B-Horseshoe Racing, LLC
(KY); T-Wesley A. Ward. $18,800.
3–Gretzky the Great, 124, c, 3, Nyquist–Pearl Turn, by
Bernardini. ($295,000 RNA Ylg '19 FTKOCT). O-Eclipse
Thoroughbred Partners and Barber, Gary; B-Anderson Farms
Ont. Inc. (ON); T-Mark E. Casse. $7,050.
Margins: 1HF, NK, 1 1/4. Odds: 6.70, 5.20, 1.00.
Also Ran: Hard Rye Guy, Catman, Twirling Mamba, Fort Moultrie, Pico d'Oro, Notable Exception, The Predicament, Bakwena. Scratched: Kinetic Sky, Warrior in Chief. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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Impressive Allowance Winner Known Agenda May Target Florida Derby

St. Elias Stable's Know Agenda may have earned his way into the $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill 'n Dale at Xalapa field Friday after romping to a 11-length victory in the Gulfstream Park's featured Race 4, a 1 1/8-mile optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds.

“We'll talk about it with Mr. Viola and Mrs. Viola and their team,” said trainer Todd Pletcher, who trains the son of Curlin for Vinny and Teresa Viola's St. Elias Stable. “We'll talk about it, but I think he ran well enough today that it's definitely in play.”

Known Agenda, who was sent to post as the 1-2 favorite in a field of six, rated off a solid early pace contested by Etched in Stone, Top Gun Tommy and Warrior in Chief during a half-mile in 47.89 seconds. Top Gun Tommy won the pace battle to take a clear lead into the stretch under Paco Lopez, but Known Agenda loomed large on the turn and quickly took charge at the top of the stretch and drew off under Irad Ortiz Jr.

The son of Curlin ran the Florida Derby distance of 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.47 while equipped with blinkers for the first time on the day before a field of 10 3-year-olds compete in the $300,000 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2), a key prep for the March 27 Florida Derby.

“Johnny [Velazquez] recommended blinkers last time. We just needed to get him a little more focused. We know he's got a lot of talent. He's shown it in the mornings and hints of it in the afternoon,” Pletcher said. “We're just trying to get him a little more consistent. It looks like today the blinkers helped. He got into the race a little bit more and won impressively in the end.”

The St. Elias Stable's homebred colt finished fifth in the Feb. 6 Sam F. Davis (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs after racing far back early. In his prior start, he finished a distant third in the Remsen (G2) at Aqueduct after getting bumped at the start.

Known Agenda's victory came two days after it was announced that Pletcher is among the 2021 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame nominees in his first year of eligibility.

“It's an honor to be nominated. I'm very thankful for all the opportunities we've had over the years,” Pletcher said. “We've been blessed to train a lot of great horses for a lot of great people and have a tremendous staff backing us up.”

Pletcher, who has saddled a record five Florida Derby winners, has saddled the winners of more than 5,000 races and $400 million in purses.

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TVG’s Weekend Programming Features Live Coverage Of Derby Preps

TVG's coverage of the road to the Kentucky Derby will continue this weekend with live, on-site coverage of key Kentucky Derby prep races from Oaklawn Park and Gulfstream Park – the $750,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) featuring the return of Eclipse Award winner Essential Quality and the $300,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2).

TVG's Caton Bredar will be reporting live from Oaklawn Park on Saturday with interviews, insights and analysis of the eleven-race card which features three stakes races including the $750,000 Southwest Stakes which will offer 10-4-2-1 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top four finishers and serves as a steppingstone to the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1) on April 10. The Southwest Stakes (G3) will feature the sophomore debut of Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) winner and Eclipse champion Essential Quality for trainer Brad Cox. The Godolphin homebred son of Tapit is undefeated from three starts and will have Luis Saez in the irons as he faces six rivals including multiple Grade 1 winner Jackie's Warrior.

Sunday at Oaklawn Park will mark the much-anticipated return of dual Eclipse Award winner Monomoy Girl for trainer Brad Cox. The six-year-old mare, freshened since a win in the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1), will face five rivals in the $250,000 Bayakoa Stakes (G3). Florent Geroux will be aboard the daughter of Tapizar who was purchased for $9.5 million at Fasig-Tipton in November by Spendthrift Farm.

The road to the Kentucky Derby will continue at Gulfstream Park on Saturday and the award-winning network will have Gabby Gaudet, Joaquin Jaime and Caleb Keller on-site with expanded coverage of the fourteen-race card which will feature nine stakes races. The Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) will offer 50-20-10-5 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top four finishers and has drawn a field of ten including the 9-5 morning line favorite, Greatest Honour for Shug McGaughey, III. The bay son of Tapit was last seen winning the Holy Bull Stakes (G3) in January and will have Jose Ortiz aboard.

Saturday at Gulfstream Park will also feature the sophomore debut of Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) winner and Eclipse champion Vequist in the $200,000 Davona Dale (G2), a prep race for the Kentucky Oaks (G1). The two-time Grade 1 winning filly will square off against eleven-rivals with Irad Ortiz, Jr. in the irons.

TVG will also be live trackside at Santa Anita with Todd Schrupp, Christina Blacker and Britney Eurton anchoring the coverage from California with a nine-race card. The featured event is the $100,000 Pasadena Stakes for three-year-olds going one-mile on the turf which has drawn a field of six including Rock Your World for trainer John Sadler and jockey Umberto Rispoli.

There are also Kentucky Derby points on the line at Turfway Park on Friday night in the $100,000 John Battaglia Memorial Stakes. The race will offer 10-4-2-1 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top four finishers and features a field of thirteen including the Canadian-bred Grade 1 winner Gretzky the Great, installed as the 3-1 morning line favorite for Mark Casse.

In addition to racing from Oaklawn, Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita, TVG will be featuring racing from Tampa Bay Downs, Fair Grounds, Aqueduct and more. Fans can tune in on TVG, TVG2 and the Watch TVG app which is available on Amazon Fire, Roku and connected Apple TV devices.

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Grade 1 Winner Gretzky The Great Makes 3-Year-Old Debut In Friday’s Battaglia Memorial

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Gary Barber's $250,000 Summer Stakes (Grade 1) winner Gretzky the Great is primed for his 3-year-old debut as the 3-1 favorite in Friday's $100,000 John Battaglia Memorial at Turfway Park.

For the first time this year, the John Battaglia Memorial joined the Road to the Kentucky Derby Prep Season and will award the Top 4 finishers points on a 10-4-2-1 scale. The 1 1/16-mile event run over the Tapeta surface is carded as Race 5 with a post time of 8:16 p.m. (all times Eastern). The race attracted a full field of 12 3-year-olds with one also-eligible entrant. First post on Friday's program is 6 p.m.

The John Battaglia Memorial is named after Turfway Park's former General Manager and father of Churchill Downs longtime oddsmaker Mike Battaglia. The race annually serves as a steppingstone to the $250,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3), which will be run for the 50th time this year at the Florence, Ky. track on Saturday, March 27.

Gretzky the Great, trained by Mark Casse, previously ran sixth in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) and was defeated 6 ¼ lengths by Fire at Will – one of the top interests in Saturday's $300,000 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park. Prior to his sixth-place effort Gretzky the Great had a trio of victories including his 3 ¼-length score in the Sept. 20 Summer run at one-mile on the turf. The Nyquist colt has one prior start on the Tapeta surface where he broke his maiden by 4 ¼ lengths. Gerardo Corrales will have the mount from the rail.

In total, the race attracted six Triple Crown nominees including Robert LaPenta's recent three-length maiden winner Kinetic Sky, who is slated in invade Turfway for trainer Brad Cox from his Fair Grounds base. The son of Runhappy will be ridden by Deshawn Parker from post No. 5.

Another horse likely to garner attention is Sandin Syndicate Stable's $100,000 Ellis Park Juvenile winner Pico d'Oro. Trained by Bill Morey, Pico d'Oro will stretch out to 1 1/16 miles for the first time. In his last start, the son of Curlin finished third in the $97,000 Jimmy Winkfield at Aqueduct. John McKee will ride Pico d'Oro from post 6.

The complete field for the John Battaglia Memorial from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds): Gretzky the Great (Corrales, Casse, 3-1); The Predicament (Rafael Hernandez, Tim Hamm, 20-1); Twirling Mamba (Albin Jiminez, John Ortiz, 10-1); Like the King (Rafael Bejarano, Wesley Ward, 7-2); Kinetic Sky (Parker, Cox, 9-2); Pico d'Oro (McKee, Morey, 8-1); Hard Rye Guy (Chris Landeros, Ian Wilkes, 15-1); Hush of a Storm (Santiago Gonzales, Morey, 10-1); Fort Moultrie (Rodney Prescott, Reeve McGaughey, 20-1); Notable Exception (Declan Cannon, Jack Sisterson, 30-1); Catman (Manny Esquivel, Mike Maker, 15-1); Warrior in Chief (Robby Albarado, Kenny McPeek, 8-1). Also-eligible: Bakwena (Prescott, Darrin Miller, 20-1).

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