Battle of Midway (horse)

2017: three-year-old season

Battle of Midway was unraced as a two-year-old, instead making his debut in a six furlong maiden special weight race for three-year-olds at Santa Anita Park on January 21, 2017. Sent off as the 7-2 third choice, he dueled with Bronze Age before that rival weakened in the stretch run. Battle of Midway then drew away to a ​3 ¹⁄₄ length victory under jockey Drayden van Dyke.^[2] In his next race, Battle of Midway stepped up sharply in class for the Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes, also at Santa Anita, ultimately finishing third to Iliad.^[3]

With that loss his next start would be an Allowance Optional Claiming. Similar to San Vicente. he started fifth and by the first quarter he was almost three lengths behind. By the next quarter he had made nearly half that margin. Finally he was head to head with Mr. Hinx by the third quarter. He then took over the lead at the far turn and opened up. Just holding off late flying Reach the World to hang on by half a length. Yet again he would return to stakes company, this time in the Santa Anita Derby. He started very quickly and battled for the lead with American Anthem. American Anthem faded but Battle of Midway opened up and kept the lead until Gormley passed him mid stretch.

Luckily for Battle of Midway the second-place finish gave him 40 points for the Kentucky Derby Trail. Enough to get in the derby, at the start of the race Battle of Midway stayed right behind leaders State of Honor and Always Dreaming. When State of Honor faded Irish War Cry moved up and Battle of Midway stayed in between Irish War Cry, and Always Dreaming. In the end Always Dreaming drew and away and Battle of Midway stayed behind being passed by Lookin at Lee and finishing third. After his game effort he returned to California to run in the Affirmed Stakes, as the favorite. Like the Derby he broke sharply and took the lead by half a length. B Squared nearly passed him but then Battle of Midway powered back and opened up three lengths at the end he open up to win by four and a quarter lengths.

With Battle of Midway now a graded stakes winner he would come back to make his third attempt at a grade on victory in the Haskell Invitational Stakes. He started very quickly and even had the lead for a while but in the end flattened at the end. He would finish sixth only beating one other horse. He would make his debut at Del Mar in his next start. The Shared Belief Stakes. He would carry top weight of 124 pounds along with Cistron. He also would wear Winstar farm's white blinkers for the first of three times at the start he stalked in third one and a half lengths behind Cistron and Gato Del Oro. Soon though he would have the lead all to himself and won by a clear six and a quarter lengths, defeating grade 1 winners Gormley and Klimt.

In his next start he would head the Oklahoma for the Oklahoma Derby. Battle of Midway started in between horses and would be fourth. He then dropped back to fifth by three quarters of a mile, however he made a huge move in the stretch barely taking the lead. Unfortunately the move took to a lot out of him and was passed by Untrapped. Despite the loss, Battle of Midway would make his fourth and final attempt at a grade 1 in the Breeders Cup Dirt Mile. He would have to face a star field that included, H Allen Jerkins winner Practical Joke. Met Mile winner Mor Spirit, and Hollywood Gold Cup Winner Cupid. At the start Battle of Midway settled in hand five wide. He would start three and a half lengths behind the leaders.By the end of the race he and Sharp Azteca were dueling down the stretch. Sharp Azteca barely keeping the lead but at the wire Battle of Midway made a final move that would power Battle of Midway half a length in front at the wire. He had finally gotten his first Grade 1 win, after words he would be retired and set to sire at Winstar Farm for a set fee of $20,000.

2018: Brief retirement and four-year-old season

Battle of Midway was retired to stud at WinStar Farm for the 2018 breeding season for a fee of $20,000 live foal. Despite covering 60 mares during the 2018 season, he was only able to get five of them in foal because he is missing a gene that impacts his sperm's ability to fertilize eggs. Battle of Midway's owners elected to take a subfertility insurance payout and put him back into race training, sending him temporarily to the barn of Rodolphe Brisset at Keeneland. He will eventually return to the care of Jerry Hollendorfer, his original trainer.^[4]