Somelikeithotbrown Takes Momentum Into Jeff Ruby Steaks
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Photo: Coady Photography
Somelikeithotbrown wins the John Battaglia Memorial at Turfway Park
Somelikeithotbrown, who last month won the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes, has been tabbed the 8-5 morning-line favorite for the $200,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) March 9 at Turfway Park.
The 1 1/8-mile stakes on the all-weather track is a Road to the Kentucky Derby points race, but its points were reduced in 2018 to 20-8-4-2 for the top four finishers. Other prep races this weekend, the Gotham Stakes (G3) and Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G2), award 50-20-10-5.
At Turfway, Somelikeithotbrown is the most accomplished runner in the expected field of 11. The son of Big Brown trained by Mike Maker finished third in last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) and in his 3-year-old debut ran well on the Turfway surface to win the Feb. 15 John Battaglia by 3 1/2 lengths.
"He's grown; he's filled out. He's a good-sized horse," said Harvey Diamond, whose Skychai Racing co-owns Somelikeithotbrown with Sand Dollar Stable. "He seems to be very agile, and Mike says he's been training very well."
Maker will be trying to win the Jeff Ruby for the third time in the past four years and fifth time overall.
At the Jeff Ruby distance on the turf, Somelikeithotbrown secured his maiden win in his second try Aug. 8 at Saratoga Race Course by eight lengths after finishing seventh in his debut on dirt.
"We tried him on dirt," Harvey said of his debut in an off-the-turf sprint last summer. "We ran him the first time at Saratoga, and I don't think it was a fair assessment because the track was very sloppy that day. But he didn't run very well, whether it was the surface or whether it was just his first race and he was immature. Then we put him on turf up there, and he blew by the field."
He then returned at the end of August to finish second in the With Anticipation Stakes (G3T) and followed with another second-place effort in the Pilgrim Stakes (G3T), both going 1 1/16 miles on the grass. He ended his juvenile season with a third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, just three-quarters of a length behind winner Line of Duty.
Somelikeithotbrown will leave from post 10 with jockey Tyler Gaffalione for the first time, but his connections have little concern.
"We're excited," Harvey said. "It really makes no difference whether we are the favorite or not. We intend to run and give it our best shot. I think he'll be fine no matter where he is in the gate; he's a good gate horse. We're just happy that he's in the gate."
Second choice at morning-line odds of 3-1, Gary Barber and Lucio Tucci's Skywire brings a 2-for-2 record into Saturday's contest. Trained by Mark Casse, the Ontario-bred son of Afleet Alex drove home to win his Dec. 9 debut on the all-weather track at Woodbine after being bumped at the start. His next race came Feb. 13 in a 1 1/16-mile off-the-turf optional-claiming allowance race at Gulfstream Park. After hitting the gate at the break and then shying away from left-handed urging in the stretch, Skywire pulled away to a six-length score.
"He got away bad, but he was pretty impressive," Casse said. "We had him in on the grass and it came off, and we said, 'Well, let's give it a shot,' and he ran well. I think the key to all that is—and anyone who tells you differently, that they know, is lying—you've got to give a horse a try (on dirt) because you never know. You just never know. He had trained well on the dirt or we wouldn't have run him on the dirt.
"If he runs really well Saturday, he could end up in the (grade 2 Toyota) Blue Grass (April 6 at Keeneland). He's 1-for-1 on the dirt, and he's 1-for-1 on the Tapeta."
Gary Boulanger will have the mount on Skywire from post 6.
John Battaglia second- and third-place finishers Dynamic Racer and Dabo also return in the Jeff Ruby.
Lou Dunn Diekemper Trust's homebred Dynamic Racer has won two of six starts, and this will be his graded stakes debut. The Run Away and Hide colt broke his maiden Aug. 26 on the turf at Belterra Park, and after off-the-board efforts at Keeneland and Churchill Downs, he won a one-mile optional-claiming allowance race Jan. 3 at Turfway.
Dynamic Racer drew the rail and will be ridden by Euclyn Prentice Jr.
Trained by Dale Romans for West Point Thoroughbreds and Peacock Stable, Dabo has only his debut score in his win tally from four starts. The Jeff Ruby is also his graded stakes debut, and the son of Temple City will leave post 4 with Luan Machado aboard.
Owned by WinStar Farm, China Horse Club, and SF Racing, Five Star General has won two of four starts, including the Central Park Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack. He will be piloted Saturday for the first time by Declan Cannon, but even if the pair end up in the winner's circle, trainer Arnaud Delacour said he would be hesitant to duplicate such an effort on the first Saturday in May.
"Unless something changed, like we brought him to Keeneland and he breezed very well on the dirt or something like that, I don't really think Derby for him," Delacour said.
While the Jeff Ruby Steaks is the feature race Saturday at Turfway, the undercard includes five other stakes, including the $100,000 Kubota Kentucky Cup Classic for older horses going 1 1/8 miles and the $100,000 Maxim Crane Works Bourbonette Oaks for 3-year-old fillies going one mile. The Bourbonette awards qualifying points (20-8-4-2) to the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1).
Turfway Park, Saturday, March 09, 2019, Race 11Entries: Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Dynamic Racer (KY)
Euclyn E. Prentice, Jr.
123
Ronald Kahles
15/1
2
2Moonster (KY)
John McKee
123
Dale L. Romans
20/1
3
3Five Star General (KY)
Declan Cannon
123
Arnaud Delacour
6/1
4
4Dabo (IL)
Luan Machado
123
Dale L. Romans
10/1
5
5Baytown Jimbo (KY)
Alexis Achard
123
Paul McEntee
20/1
6
6Skywire (ON)
Gary Boulanger
123
Mark E. Casse
3/1
7
7Counter Offer (KY)
Malcolm Franklin
123
Ian R. Wilkes
10/1
8
8Twelfthofneverland (KY)
Sheldon Russell
123
Raymond Handal
12/1
9
9Curlin Grey (KY)
Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.
123
Kenneth G. McPeek
10/1
10
10Somelikeithotbrown (NY)
Tyler Gaffalione
123
Michael J. Maker
8/5
11
11Speed App (VA)
Walter De La Cruz
123
D. Wayne Lukas
30/1
Turfway Park, Saturday, March 09, 2019, Race 9Entries: Kubota Kentucky Cup Classic S.
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Nun the Less (KY)
Walter De La Cruz
120
Cipriano Contreras
3/1
2
2Sniper Kitten (KY)
Tyler Gaffalione
120
Michael J. Maker
7/2
3
3Cooptado (ARG)
Sheldon Russell
120
Thomas Morley
20/1
4
4Midnight Pleasure (KY)
John McKee
120
Mick Ruis
6/1
5
5Surgical Strike (KY)
Angel Serpa
120
Anthony J. Granitz
8/1
6
6Royal Son (KY)
Luan Machado
120
Kellyn Gorder
5/1
7
7Sir Dudley Digges (ON)
Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.
120
Michael J. Maker
5/1
8
8Lanier (KY)
Declan Cannon
120
Brett T. Santangelo
9/2
Turfway Park, Saturday, March 09, 2019, Race 10Entries: Maxim Crane Works Bourbonette Oaks
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Crafty's Dream (KY)
Rolando Aragon
118
Michael Evans II
12/1
2
2Naughty Joker (KY)
Rafael Bejarano
118
Wesley A. Ward
9/2
3
3Birdie (KY)
Abel Lezcano
120
Jose Fernandez
8/1
4
4New Roo (KY)
Luan Machado
120
Thomas Drury, Jr.
15/1
5
5Into Trouble (KY)
Rafael Mojica, Jr.
118
Ben Colebrook
4/1
6
6Red Rounder (KY)
Rodney A. Prescott
118
Michael J. Maker
5/1
7
7Channel Princess (KY)
Perry Wayne Ouzts
120
Michael Ann Ewing
6/1
8
8Malibu Party (KY)
John McKee
118
Tracey Young
20/1
9
9Unapologetic Me (KY)
Tyler Gaffalione
118
Michael J. Maker
6/1
10
10Fun Finder (KY)
Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.
118
Kenneth G. McPeek
8/1
11
11Diva Day (KY)
Malcolm Franklin
118
Thomas Drury, Jr.
15/1
12
12Gold Credit (KY)
Declan Cannon
118
Ignacio Correas, IV
6/1