Road to Jeff Ruby Steaks begins Saturday as Street Beast leads field in $125,000 Leonatus Stakes

The road to the $777,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks (Grade III) bgeins Saturday at Turfway Park Racing and Gaming, where Midway Racing’s Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile (Listed) winner Street Beast leads a competitive cast of nine aspiring 3-year-olds in the 36th running of the $125,000 Leonatus Stakes.

Run at one mile, the Leonatus Stakes serves as a local steppingstone to the Feb. 21 $175,000 John Battaglia Memorial (Listed) and the March 21 Jeff Ruby Steaks, both on the Road to the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve. The Leonatus goes as Saturday’s eighth race with a post time of 9:25 p.m. (all times Eastern). First post is 5:55 p.m.

Trained by Ben Colebrook, Street Beast was a two-time winner at the Kentucky Downs meeting, breaking his maiden Aug. 28 before returning 10 days later to dominate the Juvenile Mile by seven lengths under Luan Machado. Following his stakes victory, Street Beast stepped up to Grade I company in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, finishing fourth, beaten 4 ¼ lengths by the highly regarded European invader Gstaad (GB). Machado returns to ride Street Beast in the Leonatus and will break from post No. 9.

Among his competition is a duo from the Brad Cox barn: St. Elias Stable and Starlight Racing’s Keeneland allowance winner Fulleffort and Grandview Equine, LNJ Foxwoods and Hubert Vester’s Turfway allowance winner Valiant.

A son of Liam’s Map, Fulleffort has been highly regarded by bettors for all four of his starts. In late October, he cruised to a five-length allowance victory on turf at Keeneland as the even-money favorite. Prior to that, he broke his maiden as the 4-5 favorite at Kentucky Downs. Jockey Vincent Cheminaud has the riding assignment from post 5.

Stablemate Valiant will break from post 3 with Fernando De La Cruz in the irons. A son of Into Mischief, Valiant broke his maiden two starts ago at Horseshoe Indianapolis, then rallied from just off the pace for a 1 ¾-length allowance victory six weeks ago.

Another horse with stakes experience entered in the race is Paradise Farms Corp., David Staudacher, Turman Racing Stable and Skychai Racing’s I Did I Did, who was fourth in the Street Sense Stakes (Grade III) on Oct. 26 at Churchill Downs. Trained by five-time Leonatus winner Mike Maker, I Did I Did most recently finished seventh in the Remsen Stakes (Grade II) at Aqueduct. Jockey Walter Rodriguez will be in the irons from post 7.

Also entered in the Leonatus Stakes are NBS Stable’s multiple stakes-placed Jutland; Three Chimneys Farm and John Ennis’ impressive maiden winner Great White; James Miller’s local allowance winner No Joke Joe; CJ Stables’ allowance runner-up Reb Five; and Go-To-Toga Racing and Equinox’s Indiana-bred Brazilian Conexao.

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Turfway Park Racing and Gaming