Field Pass grinds out a win in Turfway's Jeff Ruby Steaks

After watching the race favorite Invader duel outside of Fancy Liquor most of the way in Saturday’s Grade 3, $250,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks, Field Pass blew past them both late in the going to win Turfway Park’s 2020 Kentucky Derby prep.

Under Irad Ortiz Jr., the son of Lemon Drop Kid delivered trained Mike Maker his record sixth victory in the Ruby, previously known as the Spiral Stakes, and earned 20 points toward a run on the first Saturday in May.

It’s unlikely Field Pass goes on to the Triple Crown series — Three Diamonds Farm’s Maryland-bred has cut his teeth racing on turf thus far — but should set himself up to factor in other graded races on the lawn later this season, particularly Churchill Downs' American Turf (G2) on the Derby day undercard.

"He’s a good-sized horse," Maker said. "His conformation’s great. Great mind on him. I was getting worried right down to the wire. I try to bring some of my better turf horses for the Ruby. It’s paid off over the years."

Field Pass was never too far from the front, sitting off fractions of 23.67, 47.78 and 1:11.72 for the opening quarter miles. Off the turn, he ran down the center of the track to just nab Invader after that one put away a stubborn pace setter, Fancy Liquor.

Halo Again was well back in fourth over Turfway’s Polytrack.

"When I asked him, it took some time to get going," Ortiz Jr. said of Field Pass. "It wasn’t easy to catch (Invader), but he got the job done. They went a little slow, my horse wanted to go really bad and I didn’t want to struggle with him, so I let him go.”

A bargain $37,000 yearling, Field Pass improved to 3-2-0 in eight starts. He entered off a victory in Gulfstream Park’s Dania Beach, which marked his first stakes score.