Saturday’s $777,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) at Turfway Park is scheduled to be the first 2025 Kentucky Derby (G1) qualifier awarding 100 points to the winner, with its 6:25 p.m. ET post time shortly ahead of the similarly-endowed $1 million TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby (G2).
Turfway’s companion race on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks, the $300,000 Bourbonette Oaks, is the last prep worth points on the 50-25-15-10-5 scale to the top five finishers. The ensuing Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) ushers in the scoring races with a 100-point windfall to the winner.
Both the Jeff Ruby Steaks and Bourbonette Oaks attracted overflow fields beyond the 12-horse maximum. Poster tops 13 entrants in the Jeff Ruby Steaks, while White Rocks and Will Then are among 14 in the Bourbonette Oaks.
Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) – Race 12, 6:25 p.m. ET
Although Poster has yet to race on the Tapeta surface, the Godolphin homebred is the one to beat in the Jeff Ruby Steaks. Poster is already proven at the 1 1/8-mile distance as the hero of last fall’s Remsen (G2) at Aqueduct, and he resumed with a strong-closing third to John Hancock and Owen Almighty in the Sam F. Davis S. at Tampa Bay Downs. Moreover, the son of Munnings began his career by winning both starts on turf, and he’s been training at Turfway throughout the winter. Poster has the look of a triple-surface threat for trainer Eoin Harty.
— TwinSpires Racing
Poster takes the G2 Remsen at Aqueduct at 9/2 and remains undefeated!
Eoin Harty trains for @godolphin and Flavien Prat was aboard. pic.twitter.com/44XnonvES7(@TwinSpires) December 7, 2024
The top three from the John Battaglia Memorial here – California Burrito, Baby Max, and Maximum Promise – renew rivalry over an extra sixteenth of a mile. Note that Baby Max adds blinkers after getting rebuffed last time. Final Gambit, a Juddmonte homebred from the Brad Cox barn, went last-to-first in a local maiden. Another sure to act on this track is He’s Not Joking, who romped in the Grey (G3) on the Woodbine Tapeta. The Josie Carroll pupil has shown little in his Road to the Kentucky Derby attempts on dirt, and a return to the synthetic figures to help.
A few others try a surface experiment after disappointments on the Derby trail – the D. Wayne Lukas-trained Innovator, a close third in the Lecomte (G3) who retreated to 12th in the Rebel (G2); Giocoso, whose turf prowess hints that he’d enjoy the Tapeta; and Calling Card from the hot barn of Mike Maker.
Charlie’s to Blame, the winner of the Kitten’s Joy S. at Gulfstream Park, and recent Fair Grounds allowance scorer Flying Mohawk employ the turf-to-synthetic angle. Oaklawn Park shipper Curvino takes a class hike for Peter Miller, and Todd Pletcher’s twice-placed maiden Candytown is the also-eligible.
Bourbonette Oaks – Race 11, 5:43 p.m. ET
White Rocks opened up a substantial early lead and held on in the local prep, the one-mile Cincinnati Trophy. The 1 1/16-mile Bourbonette Oaks could be a different story. The Arnaud Delacour pupil is now drawn toward the outside in post 11. The added ground also suits the rallying placegetters, runner-up Admit and belated third Somethinabouther, not to mention a few intriguing shippers.
.@kaitlinefree nails the exacta in the Cincinnati Trophy!
— TwinSpires Racing
White Rocks takes them all the way at 5/1 under Victor Carrasco for trainer Arnaud Delacour!TwinSpriesReplay pic.twitter.com/fF0NOMvedZ
Fitting that profile are Augustin Stable homebreds Will Then and As Catch Can, both trained by Jonathan Thomas. Will Then was last seen landing the Jimmy Durante (G3) with a sweeping move on the Del Mar turf, where Resolve was a troubled third. As Catch Can, a fast-finishing second to Somethinabouther in the Mazarine (G3) at Woodbine, was most recently runner-up in the Sweet Life S. on Santa Anita’s downhill course.
Bless the Broken sports key form, coming off a third to early Kentucky Oaks favorite Good Cheer in the Rachel Alexandra (G2). But she might get a rematch as a cross-entrant to the Fair Grounds Oaks.
Santa Anita-based turfiste Resolve also has a useful form tie-in to the Oaks leaderboard. The Leonard Powell filly was runner-up two back to Supa Speed, who just missed in her dirt debut in the Santa Ysabel (G3).
Others in the main body of the field include Poster’s stablemate Golden Sunshine, who finally broke her maiden here in resounding fashion; turf performer Fixin to Bee, exiting a fourth in Gulfstream’s Sweetest Chant; Zealous Moon, a recent allowance winner on the Gulfstream Tapeta; Just Ruthless, eighth in the Cincinnati Trophy; and fellow local Getting After It.
On the also-eligible list are Cox’s Bracelet, the Cincinnati Trophy fourth, and Honeybee (G3) trailer Classic Appeal.
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