Through The Lens: Scenes from Turfway Park's Jeff Ruby Steaks Day
FLORENCE, Ky. -- To begin Saturday's Jeff Ruby Steaks Day at Turfway Park, Normandy Crossing (English Channel) won the first race after going straight to the lead as the favorite and running to form. He paid $4.20 to win.
With the Jeff Ruby Steaks being on St. Patrick's Day this year, the horses and the fans were decked out to show their Irish spirit!
In the 4th race, Ester Ethyl (Scat Daddy) and Perry Wayne Ouzts crossed the wire first and made the first 2-for-4 in her career. The filly went to the lead, but as Ouzts' horse in the first race, and never looked back.
While waiting for the next race, race patrons took shelter inside to get some warmth before heading back into the cold to watch their picks run, hoping to hit big.
In Race 5, 3-year-old fillies lined up to try to win their first race. Jockey Drayden Van Dyke guided True Dream (Yes It's True) to her first win in seven starts. The filly sold as a yearling for $52,000 to Kenny McPeek at Keeneland.
The No. 7 is a white thoroughbred filly by El Romeo, a son of Storm Cat, and it out of a daughter of Airdrie Apache. The filly was eased after a rough race but did cross the finish line.
In the first stakes of the day, the Latonia, older fillies and mares lined up to go one mile on the all weather track. Sky Flower and John McKee crossed first. Last year's Bourbonette winner Purely a Dream finished second in the race.
In the Rushaway Stakes, Tiznow gained another stakes winner with Alternate Route, who upset the race at odds of 7.6-1, paying 17.20 to win. In the paddock, the colt was quite a handful.
In the Kentucky Cup Classic Stakes, older horses lined up to go 1 1/8 miles. Last year's Spiral Stakes winner Fast and Accurate came back to the site of his greatest victory.
However, it was another who stole the show. His name? Camelot Kitten, a full brother to Bobby's Kitten! He defeated Chip Leader, a son of Giant's Causeway and a $180,000 yearling purchase. This victory was Camelot Kitten's first of 2018 but his sixth career win, having already won multiple graded stakes on the turf.
The next stakes was the Bourbonette Oaks, a race that offers up 20 points to the winner toward a start toward the Kentucky Oaks. Tyler Gaffalione piloted the Get Stormy filly to a win at odds of 3.8-1.
The feature race of the day was the Jeff Ruby Steaks, which offered 20 points to the winner toward a potential start in the 2018 Kentucky Derby. California invader Blended Citizen, a son of Proud Citizen, looked the part during the post parade.
The Doug O'Neill trainee and half-brother to multiple graded stakes Lookin at Lee was able to hold off Calumet Farm's Pony Up, who was charging on the outside.
Jockey Kyle Frey was more than excited, and appreciative, of his mount.
The blanket of flowers adorned the colt and the lap of Frey.
The day was not done after the Jeff Ruby Steaks, however. In the 11th race, Turfway veteran Copperplate was back to collect another victory. The son of Curlin paid $15.60 to win.