Absolutely Cindy upsets the boys in Battaglia

As a traditional stepping stone to the March 22 Lane's End S. (G2), Saturday's $100,000 John Battaglia Memorial S. at Turfway Park is usually viewed as a weigh station on the Kentucky Derby (G1) trail. After ABSOLUTELY CINDY (Arch) mounted a tremendous late rally to upset the boys, becoming the first filly to win the Battaglia, the 1 1/16-mile Polytrack event could wind up having greater significance for the May 2 Kentucky Oaks (G1).

With Orlando Mojica aboard, Absolutely Cindy was dead last in the 11-horse field through fractions of :23 3/5 and :45 3/5, and she was still only 10th when the pacesetting Mr. Harry (Flatter) reached the six-furlong mark in 1:11 1/5. In the latter stages of the far turn, the filly uncorked a circling move to enter the picture, and straightening into the stretch, she took off after the new leader, Your Round (Distorted Humor). Absolutely Cindy blew past that colt in deep stretch and rapidly widened her advantage to 1 3/4 lengths at the wire. The nearly 20-1 shot stopped the teletimer in 1:44 3/5, furnishing healthy mutuels of $41.60, $13.80 and $6.60.

"I went really wide because I didn't want to get her in traffic, and I knew I had plenty of horse," Mojica said.

Your Round launched a bold, sweeping bid turning for home and opened up by two lengths at the eighth-pole. Although he had no answer to the filly's onrush, the bay was still 6 1/2 lengths clear of his nearest pursuer. The 7-2 second choice gave back $5 and $3.20 while rounding out the $244.80 exacta. Dixie Decision (Dixieland Band) closed for third at an unheralded 40-1, paying $17.20 to show and concluding the $4,074 trifecta. Big Glen (Cactus Ridge) wound up fourth after encountering trouble on the far turn, and the nearly 4-1 shot completed the $12,301.60 superfecta (8-7-5-3). Halo's King (Halo's Image) came next, trailed by Mr. Harry, Beneficiary (Distorted Humor), Cherokee Triangle (Cherokee Run), Best Buddy (Best of Luck), Instill (Proud Citizen) and 5-2 favorite Briarwood Circle (Smart Strike), who was never in contention.

Bred, owned and trained by Ronald Keith Kinmon, Absolutely Cindy advanced her line to 10-3-2-3, $163,374. Her resume includes a previous stakes victory in the Caressing H. at Churchill Downs, and she has also placed third in the Gowell S. at Turfway and the grassy Tropical Park Oaks at Calder. The bay was coming off a remote sixth to champion Indian Blessing (Indian Charlie) in the Silverbulletday S. (G3).

Kinmon believes that Absolutely Cindy was too close to the pace in the early going of the Silverbulletday, and he issued definitive orders to Mojica.

"I told Orlando, 'Do not change her running style. This filly wants to come from the clouds.'"

The Kentucky-bred is the first foal from the winning Ms. Boucheron (L'Enjoleur), who captured eight of her 87 starts. Absolutely Cindy has an unnamed yearling half-brother by Perfect Soul (Ire).

According to Kinmon, Absolutely Cindy will now aim for the April 5 Ashland S. (G1) at Keeneland.