Whatawonderflworld Entered in Spiral Prep

Gary Barber's Whatawonderflworld, who thus far has shown an affinity for turf and synthetic surfaces, is among a full field of 3-year-olds entered for the $100,000 John Battaglia Memorial Stakes March 12 at Turfway Park.

The 1 1/16-mile Polytrack event is the final local prep for the $500,000 Horseshoe Cincinnati Casino Spiral Stakes (gr. III) April 2. The Spiral, at 1 1/8 miles, offers a total of 85 qualifying points under the "Road to the Kentucky Derby" system.

Whatawonderflworld, a New York-bred by Tiz Wonderful, has been based in Ocala, Fla., with trainer Mark Casse this winter. The gelding won two New York-bred races on the grass last fall, and in his 2016 debut won the OBS Championship Stakes at 1 1/16 miles Jan. 26 on the synthetic surface at the Ocala Training Center.

Whatawonderflworld finished last of six in the Feb. 13 Sam F. Davis Stakes (gr. III) on dirt at Tampa Bay Downs, but since then has worked steadily at the Ocala Training Center with his last breeze in 1:00 4/5 for five furlongs March 4.

Under the Battaglia race conditions, Whatawonderflworld will share co-high weight of 124 pounds with Warner Thoroughbreds, Lewis, and Setzer's Swagger Jagger because both have won a stakes at least one mile.

Swagger Jagger, a Florida-bred colt by Crown of Thorns  , finished fourth in the OBS Championship but previously won the one-mile Pulpit Stakes on the turf at Gulfstream Park. Trained by Mike Maker, Swagger shipped to Kentucky from Florida and worked five furlongs in a bullet 1:00 2/5 March 5 at Turfway.

As expected, the connections of Shogood, who won the 6 1/2-furlong WEBN Stakes at Turfway Feb. 20, opted to pass on the Battaglia. However, Blue Wings, Surgical Strike, and Oh Oz, who finished second through fourth in the WEBN, respectively, are entered.