Ding Ding Street Beast and Fulleffort will renew their rivalry in Saturday’s $175,000 John Battaglia Memorial Stakes at Turfway Park with up to 20 Kentucky Derby (G1) qualifying points hanging in the balance. After a one-two finish in January’s Leonatus Stakes, also at Turfway, the sophomore standouts find themselves set for a second duel with serious implications. Street Beast, a one-length victor in round one, opens as the narrow 5-2 choice on the strength of a 3-1-0 record through five starts that also includes a Global Tote Juvenile Mile Stakes score. Fulleffort (3-1), trained by Brad Cox for owners St. Elias Stable and Starlight Racing, has yet to break through at the stakes tier, but has earned over $210,000, also from five starts (2-1-1). Nodouble? Yes, Double Steady journeyman and reigning Nodouble Breeders’ Stakes champion Navy Seal returns to Oaklawn Park this Saturday to defend his crown in the $150,000 sprint for 3-year-olds and up. In what still stands as Navy Seal’s lone stakes triumph, the 8-year-old son of Midshipman–Copperelle drove for home with remarkable resolve to steal last year’s Nodouble by 1 ¼-lengths at 12-1. The bay, trained by Nancy Knott, will once again square off with Bohemian Bo, who after faltering to fourth as the 4-5 choice in 2025, opens as the 8-5 choice Saturday. Navy Seal trails closely at 2-1. Execute Your Pitch Inching ever closer to a spot in the million-dollar earners club, Damon’s Mound’s next opportunity comes this Saturday in the $125,000 Gulfstream Park Sprint Stakes. With just above $924,000 on his resume, the 6-year-old son of Girvin–San Antonio Stroll can’t reach the seven-figure mark in the six-furlong sprint but would be on the cusp with a victory. Already a six-time stakes winner, including three graded, for breeder/owner Cliff Love and owner Michele Love, Damon’s Mound has rarely balked against top-level competition. Billed for post six Saturday, the bay, trained by Bill Mott, leads the early betting at 7-5. Long Way from Home In search of her first stakes badge on North American soil, South African-bred mare Egyptian Mau goes postward in Saturday’s $100,000 Wishing Well Stakes at Santa Anita. A California circuit regular since her stateside debut last January, Egyptian Mau broke through in her third start after finishes of third and second over her first two appearances. The Fire Away bay, trained by Hall of Famer Neil Drysdale, ran to a fourth last time out in the Las Cienegas (G3T), also at Santa Anita. With the step-down in class Saturday, Egyptian Mau enters the six-furlong Wishing Well tied for second on the morning line with Jungle Peace (IRE) at 9-2. Better Late Than Never Raring to go after a third-place effort in the Baffle Stakes last time out, Later Than Planned (IRE) lands in the middle of a 10-horse field in Sunday’s $100,000 Pasadena Stakes at Santa Anita. Slotted into post five for the one-mile turf test, the 3-year-old Cotai Glory (GB) colt enjoyed a promising rookie campaign, highlighted by a half-length tally at 10-1 in October’s Speakeasy Stakes, also at Santa Anita. In his 2026 debut, the Baffle, Later Than Planned finished within one-length of winner and fellow Pasadena contender Greenwich Village. On Sunday, the pair will lock horns for the second time in as many starts, with more at stake than the lion’s share of the six-figure prize. Matthew Lomon, for Woodbine Share This:Share
