Battle of Midway will step up in class after comeback win

In winning Sunday’s $75,000 Comma to the Top Stakes at Santa Anita Park, Battle of Midway answered a big question for his connections.

“Was he the same horse?” WinStar Farm President and CEO Elliott Walden admitted they were asking.

Monday morning, Walden said the 2017 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner’s latest victory could propel him on to some bigger race spots.

“From a class standpoint, he can compete with anybody, I think, so long as you see what we did last night, and that’s that he came back and won,” Walden said.

Del Mar’s Nov. 25 Native Diver (G3) is an option, and Walden mentioned the San Antonio Stakes (G2) expected to be carded Dec. 26, Santa Anita’s opening day. Horses used that race last year as a prep for the Pegasus World Cup, another race Battle of Midway could try.

“The fact that he took that step surely leads you to think he can get back to that caliber of races,” Walden said of the Comma to the Top Score, which came with a 99 Beyer Speed Figure after the son of Smart Strike stopped the clock in 1:36.87 for a two-turn mile.

The Jerry Hollendorfer-trained 4-year-old returned to the races this year after found subfertile in a short stint at WinStar. He’s campaigned by his former farm and Don Alberto Stable.

The Comma to the Top marked his third start back after a second in the Pat O'Brien (G2) and fifth in the Kelso Handicap (G2).

“Jerry kind of wanted to run him here and get in the fray,” Walden said, meaning a defense of the Dirt Mile. “Cooler heads prevailed about it. Just let him win one, and it’s nice to see him do that. Hopefully we’ll have a big year with him next year.”

WinStar is looking particularly potent in the division with recent impressive Keeneland maiden winner Copper Town pointing to Aqueduct’s Cigar Mile (G1) run in early December.

“He’s a pretty nice horse,” Walden said.