The second half of the Road to the Kentucky Derby Championship Series begins March 22 and a full field of 12 sophomores aim to take advantage of the qualifying points—awarded 100-50-25-15-10 to the top five finishers—in the $777,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) at Turfway Park.
The initial stop on Turfway's Kentucky Derby (G1) trail, the Feb. 22 John Battaglia Memorial Stakes, was taken gate to wire by Aaron and Victoria Haberman's California Burrito. The son of Army Mule broke sharply to force anyone who wanted the lead to earn it. When no one challenged, apprentice rider Irving Moncada "walked the dog" through slow fractions before outdueling favored Baby Max in the stretch to win by a half-length.
Trainer Thomas Drury Jr. says he would be surprised to see California Burrito get away with the same fractions in the Ruby, which is why he has prepared the colt behind horses in the morning.
"I broke him off behind a couple horses and just had Irving sit in behind them," Drury said of California Burrito's half-mile breeze in :48 1/5 at Turfway March 15. "Irving said it was like driving a sports car, he just stayed behind them and tipped out. Finished up well, galloped out well to the backside. At this point, he's had three races over the track this winter. We know he's going to walk out of his own stall, we know he likes the surface. He's a fit horse. Just keep him happy a couple more days and we'll take our best shot."
Although he has been prepared to sit behind horses if needed, potential pacesetters like BC Stables' Lecomte Stakes (G3) third-place finisher Innovator will still need to earn that forward position. California Burrito breaks from post 3 and, like the Battaglia, will likely be sent forward by Moncada.
"We're gonna make them earn it," Drury said. "We're down inside and we're going to bounce away from there and leave there running. If they want to use themselves and commit to get over, fair enough.
"We know we don't have to be on the lead. At that point, Irving can let off the accelerator. We got a horse who has a little stop-and-go to him. It's nice to have a horse like him because you can make everyone else go on and commit and then make your decision. If they don't go, you're loping along loose on the lead. If they do go, you can make them work a little harder for it."
Should the pace get hot, it will be a big benefit to the late-closing Poster. The Godolphin homebred trained by Eoin Harty suffered his first career defeat Feb. 8 when third in the Sam F. Davis Stakes. The track at Tampa Bay Downs had played favorably to front-runners throughout that day and the top two finishers raced in that order the entire race. Runner-up Owen Almighty bounced back to win the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) March 8 and winner John Hancock is the favorite in the March 22 Louisiana Derby (G2).
"Poster was running against the bias that day and he was probably one of the only horses finishing up," Godolphin USA director of bloodstock Michael Banahan said on the March 10 episode of the BloodHorse Monday podcast. "We were encouraged by his run that day and thought it put us in a good spot."
The son of Munnings won his first two career races on turf before taking the Remsen Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct Racetrack by a nose on dirt. Banahan said although he believes Poster will be better on dirt long term, the colt should take to synthetic and the Ruby appears a perfect spot to earn Derby qualification. With 16 points, he will likely need a top-three finish.
Poster holds the advantage of being the only starter with a win at the 1 1/8-mile distance. The only other one to start at 1 1/8 miles is Rocker O Ranch's Giocoso, who was 12th in the Feb. 15 Risen Star Stakes (G2) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. However, the son of Not This Time has performed his best on turf for trainer Keith Desormeaux so the swap to synthetic could prove beneficial.
Also switching from turf to the Tapeta is BG Stables, Roadrunner Racing, SAF Racing, West Coast Stables, Barbara Evenson, and Jeffrey Lambert's Charlie's to Blame, last-out winner of the Kitten's Joy Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Gulfstream Park Feb. 1 for trainer Peter Eurton.
Flying Mohawk is another making the surface change following five starts on the turf. Trained by Whit Beckman for Jayson Werth's Two Eight Racing, Berry Family Racing, and Kaleta Racing, the son of Karakontie has won each of his last two starts at 1 1/16 miles.
"We'd like to take our shot; huge purse and synthetic is kind of a wild card for most horses," Beckman said. "I think he fits and belongs with his development and his ability."
Also racing Saturday are the pair that finished behind California Burrito in the Battaglia: J S Stables' runner-up Baby Max, who was previously the winner of Turfway's Leonatus Stakes for trainer Kelsey Danner, and the third-place finisher Maximum Promise, who races for trainer Kenny McPeek and owners Back Racing and Run for LaRoses.
A new shooter on the Derby trail with experience on Turfway's surface is Final Gambit, a Juddmonte homebred trained by Brad Cox exiting a 2 1/4-length maiden win Feb. 15.
Rounding out the field is He's Not Joking, winner of the 2024 Grey Stakes (G3) at Woodbine and returning to synthetic after two dirt defeats; Calling Card, twice unplaced in Derby preps; and Curvino, making his stakes debut.
Turfway Park, Saturday, March 22, 2025, Race 12Entries: Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 Calling Card (NY) Adam Beschizza 123 Michael J. Maker - 2 Charlie's to Blame (KY) Juan J. Hernandez 123 Peter Eurton - 3 California Burrito (KY) Irving Moncada 123 Thomas Drury, Jr. - 4 Final Gambit (KY) Luan Machado 123 Brad H. Cox - 5 Flying Mohawk (KY) Joseph D. Ramos 123 D. Whitworth Beckman - 6 Baby Max (KY) Abel Cedillo 123 Kelsey Danner - 7 Giocoso (KY) Jaime A. Torres 123 J. Keith Desormeaux - 8 Innovator (KY) Nik Juarez 123 D. Wayne Lukas - 9 Poster (KY) John R. Velazquez 123 Eoin G. Harty - 10 Maximum Promise (KY) Lanfranco Dettori 123 Kenneth G. McPeek - 11 Curvino (KY) Gerardo Corrales 123 Peter Miller - 12 He's Not Joking (KY) Rafael Manuel Hernandez 123 Josie Carroll - 13 Candytown (KY) John R. Velazquez 123 Todd A. Pletcher -
