Tiz the Bomb leads 76 nominees for Jeff Ruby Steaks

A total of 76 3-year-olds were nominated for the 51st running of the $600,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) – the centerpiece of Turfway Park’s winter season, which will be run on April 2.

The 1 1/8-mile Jeff Ruby Steaks, a Road to the Kentucky Derby Championship Series Race, will be one of six stakes events carded at the Florence, Ky., oval. The Jeff Ruby Steaks will award the Top 4 finishers 100-40-20-10 points for the 148th running of the $3 million Kentucky Derby on May 7.

Other stakes on the afternoon card will be the $250,000 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 Kentucky Oaks; $250,000 Kentucky Cup Classic (listed); the $200,000 Rushaway; the $200,000 Latonia Stakes; and the $200,000 Animal Kingdom Stakes.

Nominations for all six races closed Saturday. They can be viewed on Equibase.

This year’s Jeff Ruby Steaks is headlined by Magdalena Racing’s $125,000 John Battaglia Memorial Stakes winner Tiz the Bomb. Trained by Kenny McPeek, Tiz the Bomb finished second by 1 1/2 lengths behind Modern Games (IRE) in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. The son of Hit a Bomb tried dirt in his first start as a 3-year-old in the $250,000 Holy Bull (G3) but was a non-threatening seventh. Tiz the Bomb was able to hold off the late charge of Stolen Base in last month’s Battaglia Memorial.

The runner-up finisher in the Battaglia Memorial, Three Diamonds Farm and Deuce Greathouse’s Stolen Base, is likely to contend the Jeff Ruby Steaks as well. Stolen Base is trained by six-time Jeff Ruby Steaks-winning conditioner Mike Maker.

The Bourbonette Oaks, run at 1 1/16 miles for 3-year-old fillies, closed with 46 nominations. Trainer Brad Cox won last year’s race with Godolphin’s Adventuring and nominated 13 fillies to this year’s event, including Shortleaf Stable’s $125,000 Cincinnati Trophy winner Bubble Rock.

Another featured event on the day is the 1 1/8-mile Kentucky Cup Classic for older horses. The 42 nominees included Rob Comestro and Jeff Ganje’s locally-based $100,000 Dust Commander winner Beat Box. Trained by Bill Morey, Beat Box is undefeated at Turfway through three starts, including his much the best 2 3/4-length victory in the Dust Commander.

Turfway Park’s closing day 12-race spectacular will be drawn on Wednesday, March 30.