Ahead of the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes at Turfway Park on February 21, wagerers were focusing intently on Street Beast and Fulleffort, the top-two finishers from the Leonatus Stakes. However, it was Great White, who had only placed fifth in that earlier local preparation race, that would claim the most substantial portion of the Battaglia’s $174,835 prize money.
In the Leonatus Stakes on January 17, Great White had drawn the inside post and endured a difficult trip, yet still managed to cross the finish line in fifth, trailing by 4 3/4 lengths. This time, breaking cleanly from post-position 8, the Volatile-sired gelding remained close to the leading horses, guided by jockey Alex Achard.
“During the last race, circumstances were entirely against us,” Achard commented. “Today, we returned knowing we had to be more assertive and maintain a closer position. He placed me exactly where I needed to be, and he executed it excellently.”
Achard positioned Great White in a third-place stalking role as Street Beast and Attfield contested fiercely through quarter-mile intervals of :23.88, :48.84, and 1:14.65. From an opportune outside spot, Great White asserted dominance on the final turn and established a clear advantage heading into the stretch. Fulleffort, much like in the Leonatus, surged forward late, but ended up a neck short as Great White completed the 1 1/16 miles in 1:46.83.
This gray or roan gelding was acquired for $55,000 from Taylor Made Sales Agency’s offerings at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton December Digital Selected Sale by Three Chimneys Farm. Trainer John Ennis had shown an interest in the young horse at the sale, and some weeks afterward, Three Chimneys invited him to join their partnership.
“I considered it a privilege to even be asked by Three Chimneys to be involved with one of their horses,” Ennis stated.
Great White proved challenging to train, with Ennis describing the process as advancing two steps only to fall back one. Ennis eventually got him to compete, securing a debut victory at Turfway on December 12, which preceded his unplaced effort in the Leonatus Stakes. Ennis approached the Battaglia confident that the horse had considerable room for improvement.
“I’ve always had an affinity for the horse, but I felt he lacked a bit of strength,” Ennis remarked. “I spoke with Gonçalo [Torrealba, chairman of Three Chimneys] and the team at Three Chimneys, conveying, ‘Listen, he’s just not fully developed yet. He’ll become a strong horse in the summer, a genuinely capable one, but he’s simply not there at this moment. However, whatever he accomplishes today, he will build upon for his next outing.’ I anticipate significant progress from him with each race.”
The foal, born on May 14, appears to be ahead of schedule in terms of realizing his ultimate potential. Saturday’s win, for which he returned $32.32, earned him 20 qualifying points on the pathway to the Kentucky Derby. The remaining top five finishers — Fulleffort, Maximus Prime, Baytown Dreamer, and Steel Imperium — were awarded points on a system of 10-6-4-2.
Ennis had his initial taste of the Kentucky Derby in 2024 with Epic Ride, who had placed second in that year’s Battaglia and finished 14th at Churchill Downs after securing a spot from the also-eligible list.
“Such opportunities don’t typically come to someone like me. It’s astonishing to now be in contention,” Ennis commented on the prospect of potentially having a second runner in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve.
Epic Ride would demonstrate a greater aptitude as a turf miler than a classic-distance dirt horse, winning the Mint Millions Invitational Stakes at Kentucky Downs the previous summer. Great White’s sire, the Three Chimneys stallion Volatile, was a Grade 1-winning sprinter. Nevertheless, Ennis believes this gelding will be capable of handling the extended distances.
“This horse possesses so much more potential for advancement,” Ennis declared. “He is, of course, by Volatile, a very fast horse, but [Great White] navigates the two turns exceptionally well. I do not foresee distance presenting a challenge for him.”
The dwindling margin of victory might lead some to question his capability beyond 1 1/16 miles, but both Ennis and Achard believed this was partly because he took the lead so early and then awaited the competition.
“I secured the lead quite early and was somewhat isolated for a while,” Achard explained. “Consequently, he was growing tired and also pausing for the others. … He will continue to improve steadily. He is physically imposing. He is going to undergo considerable physical changes, and mentally as well.”
Ennis did state his belief that the horse would perform better with more recovery time between races. He did not commit to returning to Turfway in four weeks for the March 21 Jeff Ruby Steaks, but indicated that the colt would most likely have his final Derby preparatory race within Kentucky. The alternative would be in six weeks, the April 4 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, which would mark Great White’s initial competitive start on a dirt surface.
“I think that on a larger track, like Keeneland, he could perform even better,” Ennis observed. “He trains extraordinarily well [on dirt] at the Thoroughbred Training Center in Lexington, and that particular track is quite deep.”
