Hush of a Storm, Gretzky the Great hook up again in Jeff Ruby
Churchill Downs press release (above Coady Photography photo of Gretzky the Great training at Keeneland for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, in which he was sixth)
FLORENCE, Ky. (Wednesday, March 24, 2021) – Joseph P. Morey Trust’s $100,000 John Battaglia Memorial Stakes winner Hush of a Storm, along with Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Gary Barber’s Grade I-winning colt Gretzky the Great top a field of 12 3-year-olds that were entered in Saturday afternoon’s 50th running of the $250,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) – the premiere stakes event at Turfway Park’s meet.
The Jeff Ruby Steaks is one of six stakes events on Saturday’s 12-race afternoon spectacular at Turfway, which begins at 1:10 p.m. (all times Eastern). The centerpiece 1 1/8-mile race over the syntheticTapeta surface is carded as Race 11 with a post time of 6:25 p.m. Wagering is available online atwww.TwinSpires.com, the official ADW of Churchill Downs Incorporated.
Turfway Park’s signature race will award the top four finishers points on a 100-40-20-10 scale toward a spot in the starting gate for the $3 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (GI). That means the Jeff Ruby winner, and most likely the runner-up, will make the Derby field.
The other stakes races on Saturday’s card are the $150,000 Bourbonette Oaks (Listed), a Championship Series race on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks worth 50-20-10-5 points to the $1.25 million LonginesKentucky Oaks (GI); $150,000 TwinSpires.com Kentucky Cup Classic (Listed); the $100,000 Rushaway; the $100,000 Latonia Stakes; and the $65,000 Animal Kingdom Stakes.
Hush of a Storm, trained by Bill Morey and ridden by Santiago Gonzalez, was the 1 ½-length winner of the Feb. 26 Battaglia Memorial, the local prep for the Jeff Ruby Steaks. The Creative Cause colt had to survive an inquiry and objection in the race after he lugged in and appeared to affect fellow rivals Like the King, Gretzky the Great and Hard Rye Guy in the stretch. Following a review of the race, the stewards issued no change to the order of finish. Hush of a Storm is a perfect 3-for-3 over the Tapeta surface at Turfway. He broke his maiden by 5 ½ lengths on Dec. 19 and followed up that win three weeks later with a half-length first-level allowance score. His only blemish came in a seven-furlong maiden claiming $150,000 race over the dirt at Churchill Downs. Hush of a Storm drew post No. 2.
One of the other top rivals in the Jeff Ruby Steaks is $250,000 Summer (GI) winner Gretzky the Great. Named after the NHL Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky, the Nyquist colt was the even-money favorite in the Battaglia Memorial. In that race, he was pressured on the lead for nearly one-mile before giving way to Hush of a Storm. The Mark Casse-trainee will get a jockey change to Chris Landeros for the Jeff Ruby Steaks and will break from post 10.
Another horse likely to garner attention in the race is SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables,Stonestreet Stables, Golconda Stable, Siena Farm and Robert Masterson’s $200,000 Holy Bull (GIII) runner-up Tarantino. Trained by Rodolphe Brisset, Tarantino began his career on turf at Del Mar in the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. He finished second in the $101,000 Zuma Beach at Santa Anita prior to his transfer to Brisset. Immediately after he entered Brisset’s string in South Florida, he defeated six rivals in a first-level allowance over the turf at Gulfstream Park. His most recent start was a fourth-place finish in the $300,000 Fountain of Youth (GII) where he was defeated 5 ¼ lengths by Greatest Honour. Jockey Florent Geroux will ride from post 7.
The complete field from the rail out (with jockey and trainer): Like the King (Drayden Van Dyke, Wesley Ward); Hush of a Storm (Gonzalez, Morey); King’s Ovation (Albin Jiminez, Dale Romans);Awesome Gerry (Martin Garcia, Saffie Joseph Jr.); Sainthood (Gerardo Corrales, Todd Pletcher); Smiley Sobotka (Declan Cannon, Romans); Tarantino (Geroux, Brisset); Moonlite Strike (Rafael Hernandez, Joseph); Hard Rye Guy (Brian Hernandez Jr. Ian Wilkes); Gretzy the Great (Landeros, Casse); Dyn O Mite(Deshawn Parker, Keith Desormeaux); and Hockey Dad (Rafael Bejarano, Doug O’Neill).
Hard Rye Guy and Hockey Dad were not nominated to the Triple Crown at the early closing but could become eligible with a $6,000 late payment that is due on Monday.
The National Weather Service forecast for Florence, Ky. calls for a gorgeous afternoon of racing with sunny skies and a high temperature of 71 degrees.
BOURBONETTE OAKS LEADS FIVE STAKES ON JEFF RUBY STEAKS UNDERCARD – Saturday’s 12-race bonanza at Turfway Park will feature six stakes events led by the $250,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks (Grade III) as Race 11 of 12 on the afternoon program that begins at 1:10 p.m. (all times Eastern). The other stakes races on Saturday’s card are the $150,000 Bourbonette Oaks (Listed), a Championship Series race on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks worth 50-20-10-5 points to the $1.25 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI); $150,000 TwinSpires.com Kentucky Cup Classic (Listed); the $100,000 Rushaway; the $100,000 Latonia Stakes; and the $65,000 Animal Kingdom Stakes.
In the Bourbonette Oaks, Susan Moulton’s $60,000 Trapeze Stakes winner Oliviaofthedesert along with Hartwell Farm and SF Racing’s $65,000 Cincinnati Trophy winner Wait for Nairobi will take on eight rivals in Bourbonette Oaks. The race also includes Godolphin’s last-out maiden winner Adventuring, who defeated seven rivals by 6 ½ lengths at Fair Grounds for trainer Brad Cox. The one-mile Bourbonette Oaks is carded as Race 10 with at post time of 5:45 p.m. The full field from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):Speeding (Santiago Gonzalez, Mark Casse); Roll Up Mo Money (Drayden Van Dyke, Kenny McPeek); Oliviaofthedesert (Brian Hernandez Jr., McPeek); Wait for Nairobi (Edgar Morales, Rey Hernandez); Spritz(Gerardo Corrales, Rodolphe Brisset); California Lily (Rafael Hernandez, Casse); Into Vanishing (Chris Landeros, Jonathan Thomas); Adventuring (Florent Geroux, Cox); Forever Boss (Perry Ouzts, McPeek); and Candace O (Rafael Bejarano, Graham Motion).
In the TwinSpires.com Kentucky Cup Classic (Listed), a full field of 12 were entered in the 1 1/8-mile race with one horse on the also-eligible list. The field is comprised by seven stakes winners including Grade II winners Plus Que Parfait and Skywire. The Kentucky Cup Classic goes as Race 9 at 5:10 p.m. The complete field from the rail out (with jockey and trainer): Skywire (Rafael Hernandez, Mark); Set Piece (FlorentGeroux, Brad Cox); Crafty Daddy (Brian Hernandez Jr., Kenny McPeek); Empty Tomb (Gerardo Corrales, Mike Maker); Lamartine (Declan Cannon, Brendan Walsh); Finnick the Fierce (Rafael Bejarano, Rey Hernandez); Lookin to Strike (Santiago Gonzalez, Casse); Plus Que Parfait (Van Dyke, Walsh); Visitant(Deshawn Parker, Bill Morey); Blanket of Roses (Manny Esquivel, Hernandez); Super Sol (Albin Jiminez, Juan Cano); and Bama Breeze (Martin Garcia, Dermont Littlefield). Also-Eligible: Cullum Road (Chris Landeros, Doug Danner).
The stakes action starts in Race 6 at 3:40 p.m. with the 1 1/16-mile Rushaway. The field (with jockey and trainer): Shady McGee (Florent Georux, Mike Maker); Scales of Justice (Drayden Van Dyke, Michael McCarthy); Donegal Bay (Martin Garcia, Todd Pletcher); Extrasexybigdaddee (Gerardo Corrales, Mike Trombetta); Editor in Chief (Brian Heranndez Jr., Rodolphe Brisset); Cave Hill (Declan Cannon, Brendan Walsh); and Be Here (Chris Landeros, Jonathan Thomas).
Race 7, at 4:10 p.m., is the one-mile Latonia. The field from the inside out (with jockey and trainer):Dreamalildreamofu (Florent Geroux, Brad Cox); Ujjayi (Martin Garcia, Mike Maker); Jeweled Princess(Brian Hernandez Jr., Kenny McPee); Color Me Pretty (Rafael Bejarano, Claude Brownfield III); Complete(Manny Esquivel, Kim Hammond); Majestic Blend (Albin Jiminez, Anna Meah); Evil Lyn (Gerardo Corrales, Maker); Kynance (Samuel Bermudez, Hammond); Villanelle (Drayden Van Dyke, Cox); Queen ofGod (Santiago Gonzalez, Bill Morey); Rogue Too (Rogelio Miranda, Doug Danner); Queen Medb (Deshawn Parker, Brendan Walsh). Also-eligibles: Skygaze (Chris Landeros, Mark Casse); and On the Town (Van Dyke, Shug McGaughey III).
Race 8 is the 6 ½-furlong Animal Kingdom Stakes. Post time is 4:40 p.m. and here is the field from the rail out (with jockey and trainer): Pico D’Oro (Santiago Gonzalez, Bill Morey); Arzak (Rafael Bejarano, Mike Trombetta); Randello (Malcom Franklin, Tommy Drury Jr.); Outadore (Gerardo Corrales, Wesley Ward); Midnight Fire (Edgar Morales, Rey Hernandez); The Predicament (Deshawn Parker, Tim Hamm); Chasing Artie (Drayden Van Dyke, Wesley Ward); Gagetown (Florent Geroux, Brad Cox); ElSobreviviente (Rafael Mojica Jr., Maria Pinzon); and Nicky Two Shoes (Brian Hernandez Jr., Bill Cowans).
