A total of 76 3-year-olds were nominated for the 51st running of the $600,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks (Grade 3) – the centerpiece of Turfway Park's winter season that will be run on Saturday, April 2.
The 1 1/8-mile Jeff Ruby Steaks, a Road to the Kentucky Derby Championship Series Race, will be one of six stakes events carded at the Florence, Ky. oval. The Jeff Ruby Steaks will award the Top 4 finishers 100-40-20-10 points for the 148th running of the $3 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) on Saturday, May 7.
Other stakes on the afternoon card will be the $250,000 Bourbonette Oaks (Listed), a Championship Series race on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks worth 50-20-10-5 points to the $1.25 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1); $250,000 TwinSpires.com Kentucky Cup Classic (Listed); the $200,000 Rushaway; the $200,000 Latonia Stakes; and the $200,000 Animal Kingdom Stakes.
Nominations for all six races closed Saturday. They can be viewed online via Equibase at https://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbHorsemenAreaSNHW.cfm?trk=TP.
This year's Jeff Ruby Steaks is headlined by Magdalena Racing's $125,000 John Battaglia Memorial Stakes winner Tiz the Bomb. Trained by Kenny McPeek, Tiz the Bomb finished second by 1 ½ lengths behind Modern Games in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1). The son of Hit a Bomb tried dirt in his first start as a 3-year-old in the $250,000 Holy Bull (G3) but was a non-threatening seventh. Tiz the Bomb was able to hold off the late charge of Stolen Base in last month's Battaglia Memorial.
The runner-up finisher in the Battaglia Memorial, Three Diamonds Farm and Deuce Greathouse's Stolen Base, is likely to contend the Jeff Ruby Steaks as well. Stolen Base is trained by six-time Jeff Ruby Steaks-winning conditioner Mike Maker.
The Bourbonette Oaks, run at 1 1/16 miles for 3-year-old fillies, closed with 46 nominations. Trainer Brad Cox won last year's race with Godolphin's Adventuring and nominated 13 fillies to this year's event including Shortleaf Stable's $125,000 Cincinnati Trophy winner Bubble Rock.
Another featured event on the day is the 1 1/8-mile Kentucky Cup Classic for older horses. The 42 nominees included Rob Comestro and Jeff Ganje's locally-based $100,000 Dust Commander winner Beat Box. Trained by Bill Morey, Beat Box is undefeated at Turfway through three starts including his much the best 2 ¾-length victory in the Dust Commander.
Turfway Park's closing day 12-race spectacular will be drawn Wednesday, March 30. Fans can watch and wager on Turfway Park at www.TwinSpires.com, the official wagering provider of the Kentucky Derby and Churchill Downs Incorporated.
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