Expert Pick of the Week: John Battaglia Memorial Stakes

Feb 18, 2026 John Mucciolo/TwinSpires.com

Attfield wins the Central Park Stakes. (Photo by Coglianese Photo)

A total of 13 three-year-olds have been entered for Saturday’s $175,000 John Battaglia Memorial S. at Turfway Park. Run at 1 1/16 miles on the Tapeta synthetic surface, the 2026 Road to the Kentucky Derby challenge series event will give the top five finishers qualifying points towards the Derby on a 20-10-6-4-2 structure.

The field came up as a very competitive one this season, and my top pick in the race is Attfield. Trained by Thomas Morley, the son of fine young sire Vekoma ran a trio of good races as a two-year-old. In his first race at Saratoga at 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf, the horse rallied from well back at the top of the stretch to win in the grassy sprint race. He checked in third in the Futurity (G3) at Aqueduct second time out, prior to finishing off his 2025 season with a victory in the Central Park S., going long for the first time.

Attfield has posted five morning workouts leading up to this race and should be fit and ready for the contest. The chestnut horse retains the services of jockey Ricardo Santana, Jr., and I expect the three-year-old to track the pace from the middle of the pack in the early going before being asked for his winning run inside the final furlong on Saturday.

Street Beast and Fulleffort finished one-two in the local Leonatus S. while well clear of third on the oval on Jan. 17, and both of the horses will have an obvious impact in this particular race. The former has banked more than $885,000 in his young career and is well drawn on the rail for trainer Ben Colebrook. By good sire Street Sense, Street Beast has very good early speed and will be sent from the break from a great post to match his running style.

Fulleffort is an improving horse who might have the best closing kick in the cast for conditioner Brad Cox. The gray horse has finished in the top three in a trio of races in a row and will have Vincent Cheminaud in the saddle once again.

Expert Pick

An exacta with #7 Attfield on top of #1 Street Beast and #11 Fulleffort in the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes is the Best Bet of the Week.