The Road to the Kentucky Derby Championship Series continues with the $777,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) at Turfway Park, offering 100-50-25-15-10 qualifying points to the top five finishers. California Burrito won the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes gate to wire, but trainer Thomas Drury Jr. expects a tougher race in the Ruby and has prepared the colt to sit behind horses if needed.
Poster, trained by Eoin Harty, is a late-closing contender for the Jeff Ruby Steaks, having previously raced against a bias in the Sam F. Davis Stakes. The son of Munnings has shown success on both turf and dirt, and with 16 points, he aims to secure a top-three finish to earn Derby qualification. Other contenders include Giocoso, Charlie’s to Blame, and Flying Mohawk, who are all transitioning from turf to the Tapeta surface.
The field for the Jeff Ruby Steaks also includes Baby Max and Maximum Promise, who finished behind California Burrito in the Battaglia, as well as Final Gambit, He’s Not Joking, Calling Card, and Curvino. With a full field of 12 sophomores vying for Derby points, the race promises to be competitive with various contenders adapting to the synthetic surface at Turfway Park.
