Endlessly Leads Field Of 12 In Jeff Ruby Steaks

MGSW Endlessly (Oscar Performance) will ship to Kentucky to take on 11 rivals in Saturday's GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks, a 100-point race on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Named the 5-2 morning-line favorite, Endlessly last took the El Camino Real Derby to get back in the winner's circle off his only career defeat came in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. Turfway Park's signature race drew 14 total entries for 12 spots including two runners who are cross-entered into the GII TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby also on Saturday.

Other entries in the field include: Freedom Principle (Flameaway) (30-1), Dancing Groom (Vino Rosso) (15-1), Lucky Jeremy (Lookin At Lucky) (15-1), Noted (Cairo Prince) (15-1), 'TDN Rising Star' Agate Road (Quality Road) (4-1), Northern Flame (Flameaway) (5-1), Woodcourt (Ransom the Moon) (6-1), Otello (Curlin) (10-1), Seize the Grey (Arrogate) (6-1), Endlessly (Oscar Performance) (5-2), Baytown Chatterbox (Street Sense) (30-1) and West Saratoga (Exaggerator) (20-1). The two also-eligibles are Circle P (Speightster) (30-1) and Triple Espresso (Omaha Beach) (20-1).

Similar to the Louisiana Derby, the Jeff Ruby Steaks offers a point breakdown of 100-50-25-15-10.

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First World War Impresses In Return To Turf With Kitten’s Joy Win

One could hardly blame trainer Brendan Walsh for trying First World War (War Front) on the main track. After all, the colt had shown promise breaking his maiden on debut over the undulating Kentucky Downs turf course in September before finishing a narrow fourth in the GII Bourbon S. Oct. 8 behind a trio of horses who'd all seen stakes success on either the dirt or the Tapeta. He made a good show of himself by checking in second on both attempts–first to 'TDN Rising Star' Parchment Party (Constitution) and then to Otello (Curlin) by just a half-length in the Mucho Macho Man S. Jan. 1. But off a best-of-40 four-furlong drill Jan. 28, Walsh opted to place the Qatar Racing/Hunter Valley Farm entry back on the grass and was quickly rewarded with a win in Saturday's GIII Kitten's Joy S.

While he took a chunk of early money, First World War wound up second choice at 5-2 behind the Repole Stable/Todd Pletcher entry Noted (Cairo Prince). Away clearly from the middle of a gate, Tyler Gaffalione positioned his runner towards the front just off the heels of longshot pacesetter Tocayo (Always Dreaming). Racing two wide around the first turn, First World War began to pick up a clear second as the half went in :47.97. Still under a hold past the quarter pole, Gaffalione finally gave his mount a shake of the reins and First World War responded in earnest, charging up outside of Tocayo to strike the front and holding off a charging Hammerstein (Oscar Performance) to earn the win.

“All the credit goes to Brendan and his team,” said Gaffalione. “They brought the horse over ready and he fired big for us. Everything went to plan. The speed horse jumped out in front and my horse settled great behind him. He got into a great rhythm and he responded well for me down the lane.”

“He's a tremendous talent,” Gaffalione continued. “He's still learning, but the sky's the limit for him. If he keeps developing the way he is, I think we'll have a pretty nice horse down the road.”

 

Pedigree Note:

Claiborne stalwart War Front picked up his 116th stakes winner Saturday. Out of GIII Indiana Oaks S. runner up Sundaysatthebeach, First World War is also the 101st stakes winner for Medaglia d'Oro as a broodmare sire. Sundaysatthebeach, herself a daughter of MGISW and $1.8m Stonestreet broodmare purchase Ask the Moon (Malibu Moon), is a half to MSW/MGSP Belgrano (War Front). First World War is her first foal and she has a 2-year-old Candy Ride (Arg) colt as well as a yearling Uncle Mo colt both in the wings. She visited Street Sense for 2024.

 

Saturday, Gulfstream
KITTEN'S JOY S.-GIII, $175,000, Gulfstream, 2-3, 3yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:39.78, fm.
1–FIRST WORLD WAR, 118, c, 3, by War Front
                1st Dam: Sundaysatthebeach (GSP, $129,280),
                                by Medaglia d'Oro
                2nd Dam: Ask the Moon, by Malibu Moon
                3rd Dam: Always Asking, by Valid Appeal
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($285,000
Wlg '21 FTKNOV; $135,000 RNA Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Qatar
Racing LLC and Hunter Valley Farm; B-Skyfall Thoroughbreds
LLC (KY); T-Brendan P. Walsh; J-Tyler Gaffalione. $105,245.
Lifetime Record: 5-2-2-0, $266,313. Werk Nick Rating: A+++.
*Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Hammerstein, 118, c, 3, Oscar Performance–Memorial Wall,
by Chattahoochee War. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK
TYPE. O-Amerman Racing LLC; B-Mrs. Jerry Amerman (KY);
T-Brian A. Lynch. $33,950.
3–Tocayo, 122, c, 3, Always Dreaming–Spooky Tooth, by
Ghostzapper. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O/B-Lugamo Racing
Stable (MD); T-Steve Klesaris. $16,975.
Margins: HF, 1HF, 1HF. Odds: 2.50, 3.80, 13.30.
Also Ran: Freedom Principle, Edgartown, Quokka, Noted, Deadpan. Scratched: Agate Road.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

 

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Noted A Determined Winner in Gulfstream’s Pulpit

Noted rebounded from a disappointing ninth-place showing in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile last month to score his second stakes victory of the season in the Pulpit S.

Victorious in Monmouth's Sapling S. in August after breaking his maiden at Saratoga, he missed graded victory by a nose Oct. 8 in Keeneland's GII Bourbon S. and finished way back in the field last month at the Breeders' Cup.

Breaking as the 6-5 favorite and bumping with the outside runner, Noted settled in seventh for the lion's share of the race before being coaxed along into the far turn. Angled out sharply leaving the bend and causing tight quarters for a pair to his outside, he kicked on from eight wide into the final furlong to nail Reminder in the final strides to win by a neck. With the victory here, jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. completed his sweep of the turf features on the card.

“I was a little concerned with the 7 1/2 [furlongs, today] but he seemed to come out of the Breeders' Cup well, he carries good condition and he's an easy horse to train, so I felt like he was ready to run back,” Pletcher said. “We're not going to rule [dirt] out. If he trains really well we might give him another shot at some stage. He's got that win in the Sapling that looks good on paper, but in the Breeders' Cup, he didn't fire.”

 

The first to the races after his eldest full-brother died in 2021, Noted leads the way for his young dam's broodmare career. She produced a yearling filly by Global Campaign as well as a 2023 filly by Upstart. Sea View Nellie, out of MSW & GISP Pocho's Dream Girl–making her a full-sister to MGSW Mark Valeski and a half to GSW & GISP Albano (Istan), went back to Upstart for 2024. This is the extended female family of MSW Pacific Pink, herself the dam of GSP Make the Boys Wink (More Than Ready), and SP Caironi (Cairo Prince). Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

PULPIT S., $100,000, Gulfstream, 12-9, 2yo, 7 1/2fT, 1:27.30, fm.
1–NOTED, 120, c, 2, by Cairo Prince
           1st Dam: Sea View Millie, by Proud Citizen
           2nd Dam: Pocho's Dream Girl, by Fortunate Prospect
           3rd Dam: True to Romeo, by Gallant Romeo
($200,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Repole Stable; B-Brereton C. Jones (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr.. $58,900. Lifetime Record: GSP, 6-3-2-0, $338,525.
2–Reminder, 118, c, 2, Audible–Mom's Deputy, by War Chant. ($100,000 Ylg '22 OBSWIN; $200,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $185,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR). O-Tami Bobo; B-Courtney L. Meagher (FL); T-Jose Francisco D'Angelo. $19,000.
3–Palm Tree, 118, g, 2, Street Boss–Desert Gazelle, by Smart Strike. 1ST BLACK TYPE. O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brendan P. Walsh. $9,500.
Margins: NK, HD, NK. Odds: 1.20, 26.30, 2.70.
Also Ran: General Ledger, Double Your Money, Prevent, Ship to Shore, Tocayo, Summer Storm Stric, Liam's Journey. Scratched: Okiro.

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Thursday Insights: High-Priced Colts Do Battle At Ellis

2nd-ELP, $120K, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 1:14 p.m.
Two high-priced maidens will kick off their careers at Ellis Park Thursday. BC Stables paid $1.35 million for DAILY GRIND (Medaglia d'Oro) at last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling sale. Trained by D. Wayne Lukas, the bay colt is out of SW Walk Close (Tapit), who also produced his full-brother Anneau d'Or, second-place finisher in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

Lambo (Uncle Mo), trained by Steve Asmussen, brought $950,000 from the Heiligbrodts and Jackpot Farm at OBS March after posting a :10 flat move during the under-tack show. He previously brought $360,000 as a KEENOV weanling and RNA'd for $575,000 as a FTSAUG yearling. His unraced dam Sunshiny Day (Bernardini) is out of champion 2-year-old filly & MGISW Storm Song (Summer Squall), who produced Another Storm (Gone West), dam of MG1SW Order Of St George (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). TJCIS PPS

1st-BEL, $90K, Msw, 3yo/up, 7f, 1:05 p.m.
COALVILLE (Into Mischief), a $675,000 KEESEP yearling purchase by William H. Lawrence, Jeff Drown, Don Rachel, Don Alberto Stable and Bridlewood Farm, makes his first start for Chad Brown with Jose Ortiz in the irons. The bay gelding, bred in Kentucky by Don Alberto Corp. and Bridlewood Farm, is out of GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Cathryn Sophia (Street Boss). TJCIS PPS

4th-ELP, $120K, Msw, 3yo/up, 1 1/16mT, 2:13 p.m.
DAI VERNON (Good Magic), a $500,000 KEESEP graduate, debuts for Besilu Stables and Brad Cox. His dam is a half-sister to GSW and late sire Laoban (Uncle Mo). This is also the female family of Canadian champion 2-year-old colt Mr. Hustle (Declaration of War) and MGISW I'm A Chatterbox (Munnings). TJCIS PPS

5th-BEL $90K, Msw, 2yo, 5fT, 3:10 p.m.
Repole Stable purchased NOTED (Cairo Prince) for $200,000 at last year's KEESEP sale. Trained by Todd Pletcher, the gray colt's dam counts GIII Peter Pan S. hero Mark Valeski (Proud Citizen) as a half brother. Also entered are a pair of Wesley Ward-trained firsters–Dark Vintage (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) (320,000gns TATOCT yearling) and Culprit (Justify) ($675,000 KEESEP yearling). The latter, favored at 5-2 on the morning line, has been working bullets on the grass over Saratoga's Oklahoma training track. TJCIS PPS

 

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