Battle of Midway Back at Del Mar for Native Diver

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Battle of Midway Back at Del Mar for Native Diver
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Photo: BENOIT PHOTO
Battle of Midway wins the Comma to the Top Stakes

Don Alberto Stable and WinStar Farm's Battle of Midway will look to grab graded glory for the first time since his score in the 2017 Las Vegas Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) in the $100,000 Native Diver Stakes (G3) Nov. 25 at Del Mar.

It took a little while for the Smart Strike colt to hit his stride during his 4-year-old season—with a far-back second in the Pat O'Brien Stakes (G2) and a fifth in the Kelso Handicap (G2) in his first two starts—but he looked like his old self Oct. 28, when he romped to a 4 1/2-length victory in the Comma to the Top Stakes at Santa Anita Park.

BALAN: Battle of Midway Dominant in Comma to the Top Stakes

In to challenge off starts at Churchill Downs during Breeders' Cup weekend are Marathon Stakes Presented by TAA (G2) runner-up Dabster and Dirt Mile ninth Isotherm, who finished first and second, respectively, in their last start at Del Mar, the Harry F. Brubaker Stakes Aug. 22.

Rounding out the field is Comma to the Top sixth Roman Rosso, recent Aqueduct Racetrack allowance winner Gift Box, and Oct. 20 starter allowance victor and former maiden claimer Kershaw.

Later on the Sunday card, the $100,000 Cecil B. DeMille Stakes (G3T) will feature 2-year-olds on the grass. All six entered in the one-mile test are maiden winners seeking their second wins, but four have stakes experience.

Takeo Squared and Rijeka are both stakes-placed (thirds in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf and Zuma Beach, respectively), while Chicago shipper Sayin Grace finished fifth last time out in the Arlington-Washington Futurity on synthetic and Irish Heatwave came in sixth in the I'm Smokin Stakes for California-breds two starts back on dirt.


Entries: Native Diver S. (G3)

Del Mar, Sunday, November 25, 2018, Race 3

  • Grade III
  • 1 1/8m
  • Dirt
  • $100,000
  • 3 yo's & up
  • 1:30 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Roman Rosso (ARG) Drayden Van Dyke 125 Bob Baffert 10/1
2 2Gift Box (KY) Tyler Baze 121 John W. Sadler 8/1
3 3Kershaw (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Heriberto Figueroa 118 Philip D'Amato 15/1
4 4Battle of Midway (KY) Flavien Prat 125 Jerry Hollendorfer 6/5
5 5Isotherm (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Geovanni Franco 121 Philip D'Amato 4/1
6 6Dabster (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Joseph Talamo 121 Bob Baffert 2/1


Entries: Cecil B. DeMille S. (G3T)

Del Mar, Sunday, November 25, 2018, Race 6

  • Grade IIIT
  • 1m
  • Turf
  • $100,000
  • 2 yo
  • 3:00 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Takeo Squared (CA) Rafael Bejarano 120 Doug F. O'Neill 7/2
2 2Rijeka (IRE) Kent J. Desormeaux 120 Richard Baltas 4/1
3 3Vantastic (FL)Keeneland Sales Graduate Mike E. Smith 120 Peter Eurton 5/2
4 4Irish Heatwave (CA)Keeneland Sales Graduate Joseph Talamo 120 J. Keith Desormeaux 8/1
5 5Sayin Grace (KY) Drayden Van Dyke 120 Eoin G. Harty 8/1
6 6Flying Scotsman (KY) Flavien Prat 120 Jerry Hollendorfer 2/1