Derby News

FLORENCE, KY (March 4, 2006) - Laity scored a half-length win at odds of 6-1 in Turfway's $100,000 John Battaglia Memorial, giving trainer Frank Brothers his second win of the day in a 3-year-old colt stakes. Just minutes before the Battaglia was run, Brothers' leading Kentucky Derby contender First Samurai finished second, but was awarded the win after first place finisher Corinthian was disqualified for drifting out in the stretch.

Laity, who is not a Triple Crown nominee, ran a determined race to gain the victory. The Battaglia was his first race in four months; he was last seen when he finished eighth in the Nov. 5 Iroquois (GIII) at Churchill Downs. He shipped in from Florida for the John Battaglia Memorial and had had no works over Turfway’s Polytrack surface, but took to the unfamiliar surface well.

Never worse than fourth at any point in the race, Laity broke on top from post three, but was allowed to settle back by jockey Corey Lanerie. On the second turn, Lanerie began to urge his mount on, and Laity responded to engage early leader New Awakening near the top of the homestretch. He edged away in the final furlong, hold off 33-1 longshot Pair of Kings to score by the final margin. New Awakening, who was the longest price in the race at 66-1, held on for third, another half-length back. Malameeze (11-1) completed the superfecta that returned a whopping $4,440.30 for a $1 bet.

Completing the order of finish were Skeleton Crew, Temporary Saint, the 2-1 favorite Kilimanjaro, With a City, Trailing Twelve, Readily, Go Bucky Go, and Warrior Within.

"He made me work harder than I think I really had to because he wasn’t going to let them by," Lanerie said. "I was asking him for everything, but obviously he had something left because he felt that horse [Pair of Kings] coming; the horse kind of carried him to the wire. I felt him coming and I thought he was going to run right by me. But then my horse spotted him out of the corner of his eye and he dug deep and he was good enough today."

Laity boosted his career earnings to $213,200 and recorded his third win in six starts for owner Claiborne Farm.

The John Battaglia Memorial is the last local prep for the Lane’s End Stakes on March 25.

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