Battle of MIdway finds 'softer spot' in Comma to the Top Stakes

Battle of Midway, last year’s Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner at odds of 14-1, has a considerably less daunting task when the son of Smart Strike faces six foes in Sunday’s $75,000 Comma to the Top Stakes for 3-year-olds and up at a mile on dirt.

Don’t expect 14-1, as Battle of Midway is emerging from four straight graded stakes, including the Grade 1 Dirt Mile at Del Mar last Nov. 3.

“Hopefully, this will be a much softer spot, but we never take anything for granted,” said the Hall of Fame trainer, whose remarkable total of 7,520 career victories ranks him third behind the late Dale Baird (9,445) and fellow Hall of Fame member Steve Asmussen (8,184).

“We were looking for a little softer spot for him, and theoretically, this would be it.”

Battle of Midway was retired to stud after winning the Dirt Mile, but upon discovery he is subfertile, returned to training in May. The bay colt owned by Don Alberto Stable and WinStar Farm LLC has had two subsequent starts, a second in the Grade 2 Pat O’Brien Stakes on Aug. 25 and a fifth in the Grade 2 Kelso Handicap Sept. 22.

Battle of Midway has a penchant for both Santa Anita and the mile distance on dirt, with a 3-1-1 record from five starts at The Great Race Place, where he has two wins in three races at one mile on the main track.

Battle of Midway is named for the island that was a turning point for America in the Pacific theater during World War II.

As for the upcoming Breeders’ Cup, Hollendorfer plans to work both Dueling and Gunmetal Gray Saturday for the Juvenile.

The Comma to the Top, race eight of nine: Tatters to Riches, Tyler Baze; Curlin Road, Rafael Bejarano; Roman Rosso, Joe Talamo; St. Joe Bay, Drayden Van Dyke; All Out Blitz, Martin Garcia; Very Very Stella, Agapito Delgadillo; and Battle of Midway, Flavien Prat.