McCarthy aims for second Jeff Ruby in three years with Stark Contrast

Turfway Park barn notes by publicist Kevin Kerstein (Benoit photo of Stark Contrast winning the Eddie Logan

FLORENCE, Ky. (Thursday, March 19, 2026) – Final preparations for Saturday’s $777,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks (Grade III) at Turfway Park Racing & Gaming are well underway as Amerman Racing’s 5-2 morning line favorite Stark Contrast arrived Tuesday evening from California.

Trained by Michael McCarthy, Stark Contrast shipped alongside stablemates La Ville Lumiere, entered in the $300,000 Bourbonette Oaks (Listed), and 2024 Jeff Ruby Steaks winner Endlessly, who is set to compete in the $300,000 TwinSpires Kentucky Cup Classic (GIII). All three are scheduled to school in the Turfway Park paddock Friday morning.

Also on the plane was fellow Jeff Ruby Steaks competitor Medici for trainer Richard Mandella.

Among Stark Contrast’s rivals in the Jeff Ruby Steaks is a duo of horses pair from trainer Brad Cox’s barn: Grade I winner Argos and multiple stakes-placed Fulleffort.

“Fulleffort continues to improve this year,” said assistant trainer Trace Messina, who oversees the Turfway string for Cox. “He ran two really good races in the Leonatus and John Battaglia but got a little unlucky not to get the job done. We’re looking forward to seeing him take another step forward and run a big race Saturday.

Argos is a new arrival to our barn, and he’s done everything the right way since we got him at Turfway.”

Another contender shipping in for Saturday’s Jeff Ruby is Two Out Hero, who will look to rebound from a ninth-place finish in the John Battaglia Memorial. Owned by Gold Square, Two Out Hero arrived Thursday at Turfway Park along with his trainer Kevin Attard.

One race prior to the Jeff Ruby Steaks is the Bourbonette Oaks, which will feature a competitive field led in part by Go Go Grey Stable’s recent acquisition Lovely Grey. Trained by Kelsey Danner, Lovely Grey finished second in the Cincinnati Trophy to fellow Bourbonette Oaks rival Resplendence.

“She’s trained really well out of the Cincinnati Trophy,” Danner said. “We just need a better setup than we got last time. There was no pace in that race, and I’m hopeful Saturday there will be more for her to close into.”

Another local contender in the Bourbonette Oaks is Military Pike Racing Stable’s Cincinnati Trophy Stakes third-place finisher Resist. The filly schooled in the paddock Wednesday evening with jockey Irving Moncada watching alongside trainer Tom Drury Jr.

“She’s a very nice filly,” Moncada said. “I’m looking forward to riding her Saturday and feel like she can continue to improve off her recent races.”

Fans can watch and wager on Jeff Ruby Steaks Day at www.twinspires.com, the official wagering provider of Churchill Downs Incorporated. Saturday’s 13-race program begins with a special early first post of 12:45 p.m. ET.

JEFF RUBY STEAKS DAY BETTING MENU FEATURES THREE PICK 5 OPPORTUNITIES, QUARTET OF PICK 4 WAGERS – Massive exotic payouts have been a defining trend throughout the Winter/Spring Meet at Turfway Park Racing & Gaming and bettors will have plenty of opportunities to dive into large pools on Saturday’s Jeff Ruby Steaks Day, featuring three Pick 5s and four Pick 4s.

Saturday’s 13-race card at Turfway Park, which has a special early post time of 12:45 p.m. (all times Eastern), will showcase six stakes races, headlined by the $777,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks (Grade III), a Championship Series event on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. The lineup also includes the 44^th running of the $300,000 Bourbonette Oaks (Listed); the 26^th running of the $300,000 TwinSpires Kentucky Cup Classic (GIII); the 44^th running of the $250,000 Latonia Stakes (Listed); the 40^th running of the $250,000 Animal Kingdom Stakes and the 39^th running of the $250,000 Rushaway.

The program also features four maiden special weights and three allowance races. A total of 145 horses are entered, with an average field size of 10.6 horses in the body per race.

The wagering menu includes an all-stakes sequence for the 20-cent Single 6 Jackpot (Races 7-12), Pick 5 (Races 8-12) and late Pick 4 (Races 9-12). Additional multi-race wagers include an early Pick 5 (Races 1-5), middle Pick 5 (Races 4-8), early Pick 4 (Races 2-5), middle Pick 4 (Races 5-8) and late Pick 4 (Races 10-13). The Jackpot 8 will be placed on Race 12 for the Jeff Ruby Steaks.

Beyond the action at Turfway Park, fans can also bet on the Bayou Bluegrass 5, a $1 Pick 5 spanning stakes races at Fair Grounds and Turfway Park.

The sequence begins at Fair Grounds with the $500,000 New Orleans Classic presented by Hagyard (GII) in Race 9 at 5:04 p.m. The second leg moves to Turfway Park for the $300,000 Bourbonette Oaks at 5:43 p.m., followed by the $400,000 Fasig-Tipton Fair Grounds Oaks (GII) at 6:12 p.m. The Jeff Ruby Steaks is the penultimate leg at 6:25 p.m., with the sequence concluding at Fair Grounds with the $1 million TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby at 6:46 p.m.

The complete wagering menu for Jeff Ruby Steaks Day: