Gilmore Headed to Walsh's Barn for Turfway Stakes

Gilmore , the runner-up in the El Camino Real Derby (G3), will be shipped to Kentucky Feb. 22 and transferred to trainer Brendan Walsh to point toward the Kentucky Derby (G1) preps at Turfway Park.

"He's a versatile colt that seems to have an affinity for both dirt and synthetic," said Tom Ryan of SF Racing, who manages the partnership that owns the colt bred by Dividing Ridge Farm. "He's nominated to the Battaglia and the Jeff Ruby at Turfway Park. He ships to Brendan Walsh (Wednesday), allowing him to get accustomed to the track and acclimate."

The 3-year-old son of Twirling Candy   worked three furlongs in :37 4/5 at Santa Anita Park Tuesday for trainer Bob Baffert, whose horses cannot collect qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby.

The John Battaglia Memorial, a March 4 1 1/16-mile test over Turfway's synthetic main track, awards 20-8-6-4-2 points to the top five finishers. The March 25 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3), at 1 1/8 miles, provides 100-40-30-20-10 points, putting the winner in the Derby field and elevating the runner-up to a commanding position for one of the 20 starting spots.

Owned by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Robert Masterson, Stonestreet Stables, Jay Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital, and Catherine Donovan, Gilmore was 1-for-3 for Baffert, breaking his maiden after running third in his Nov. 13 debut at Del Mar.