Juddmonte’s Final Gambit secured his spot in the starting gate for the 151st Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve with an authoritative 3 ½ length victory in Saturday’s 54th running of the $777,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks (Grade III), the richest race in the history of Turfway Park Racing & Gaming.
Trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Turfway Park’s leading rider Luan Machado, Final Gambit completed 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.10 while earning 100 qualifying points toward the Kentucky Derby.
Final Gambit, a gray son of Not This Time, was last into the first turn of the Jeff Ruby Steaks with Charlie’s to Blame setting a swift opening quarter-mile of :22.97. Up the backstretch, Final Gambit remained 12th and last through a half-mile in :47.91.
As the field entered the far turn, Final Gambit started to range in contention while Charlie’s to Blame underwent pressure to his outside by California Burrito and Innovator. Machado kept Final Gambit positioned in the clear around the turn while going seven wide around the pacesetters. At the eighth pole, California Burrito took the lead but Final Gambit quickly swept past and kicked clear to an open-length victory.
Flying Mohawk, who was 11th early, closed late to finish second. He was followed by Maximum Promise, Poster, Giocoso, Curvino, California Burrito, Innovator, Charlie’s to Blame, Baby Max, He’s Not Joking and Calling Card.
“I knew keeping (Final Gambit) in the clear around the turn would probably be best but I was worried with how wide the horses on the front end were going,” Machado said. “Sometimes when he’s between horses he doesn’t try as hard as when he’s in the clear. He really closed fast down the lane and was impressive late.”
Final Gambit returned $32.14, $12.78 and $8.40 for the second win of his young career.
The Juddmonte homebred is by Not This Time out of the Tapit mare Pachinko. Final Gambit broke his maiden on Feb. 15 at Turfway Park.
“He was visually impressive when he broke his maiden here,” Cox’s local assistant Tessa Walden said. “It gave us confidence he’d come with a run, especially with how he handled the surface this winter.”
The top 5 finishers of the Jeff Ruby Steaks earned qualifying points on a 100-50-25-15-10 scale toward the Kentucky Derby.
“When you’re from Louisville, there’s only one race you’re aiming for and that’s the Derby,” trainer Whit Beckman said of Flying Mohawk.
Live racing resumes Wednesday-Saturday at Turfway Park for the final four days of the Winter/Spring Meet. Daily first post is 5:55 p.m.
Turfway Park Racing and Gaming