The Northern Kentucky Tribune will offer Bret Battaglia’s Turfway Park selections every live racing day during the Holiday and Winter/Spring meets.
Battaglia sets the morning line for Turfway Park during the live racing meets.
As a member of one of thoroughbred racing’s legacy families, Bret Battaglia has been exposed to the sport all of his life.
He is the son of Turfway Park track announcer Mike Battaglia and grandson of John Battaglia, who, as general manager, started the Spiral Stakes at what was then Latonia Race Course. The Grade III Spiral Stakes has since become a major Kentucky Derby prep.
Bret started working in the video room at Turfway in 2004 and is in his third season as oddsmaker at the Florence Kentucky track.
Turfway General Manager Chip Bach said Battaglia quickly earned the respect of local horseplayers for his astute observations.
“We’ve talked to a lot of our handicappers who say the morning lines he’s been setting have been right on,” Bach said. “He’s recognized as a strong resource and if we fail to put his selections on our Facebook page, we hear about it pretty quickly.”
Turfway Park’s Holiday meet is currently underway and includes nine-race cards Thursday through Sunday. First race post time Thursday, Friday and Saturday is 6:15 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. It is followed immediately by the Winter/Spring meet, which extends to April 3 and includes the Grade III Spiral Stakes and Grade III Bourbonette Oaks for three-year-old fillies.