For the second time this month, a TAPIT runner out of champion Close Hatches registered a stakes victory when Batten Down scored his maiden stakes victory in the Ohio Derby (G3).
Making the first start after breaking his maiden impressively at Churchill Downs, Batten Down was third out of the gate in the 1 1/8-mile dirt race but that didn’t matter for long. He sprinted to the lead and opened multiple lengths on the field while cruising comfortably under Junior Alvarado.
The field was able to cut into his big margin in the end, but Batten Down was still an easy 1 ¾ length leader at the end.
#9 BATTEN DOWN ($8.60) goes wire to wire in the $500,000 Ohio Derby (G3). @JuniorandKellyA was in the irons for trainer Bill Mott and owner @JuddmonteFarms.
A 3YO colt by Tapit out of Close Hatches, Batten Down is a full-brother to MGSW Tacitus and recent G3 winner Scylla. pic.twitter.com/lpoKQmtEzE
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) June 22, 2024
A homebred for Juddmonte, Batten Down is trained by his dam’s trainer Bill Mott and was registering his second win in five starts.
Batten Down is the third stakes winner for TAPIT out of champion Close Hatches. The colt’s full brother is multiple graded stakes winner and multiple Grade 1-placed Tacitus and with full sister Scylla scoring her first graded stakes victory on June 1. Close Hatches has four winners from four to race with all four by TAPIT.
TAPIT’s success with the family is also found under Batten Down’s granddam. Close Hatches is a half-sister to the stallion’s stakes placed Hail and is also a full sister to the stakes winning dam of champion Idiomatic.