Skychai Racing and Sand Dollar Stable’s Somelikeithotbrown has been installed as the 8-5 morning line favorite among a field of 11 entered for Saturday’s $200,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) at Turfway Park.
Somelikeithotbrown, winner of the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes, has been installed as the 8-5 morning-line favorite for Saturday’s Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park in Florence. Credit: Coady Photography
Post positions for the race were drawn Wednesday at Jeff Ruby Steakhouse in downtown Cincinnati. National racing analyst and long time oddsmaker Mike Battaglia set the morning line.
Winner of the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes (listed) at Turfway, Somelikeithotbrown is owned by Skychai Racing and Sand Dollar Stable.
Commenting on the colt’s morning line status and his post-10 draw, Skychai Racing’s Harvey Diamond said it would be good for him and that owners were excited.
“It really makes no difference whether we are the favorite or not. We intend to run and give it our best shot,” Diamond said. “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.”
Skywire, which won his dirt debut by six lengths when an allowance optional claiming race at Gulfstream Park was taken off the turf, is the morning line second choice at 3-1.
Battaglia and NBC sportscaster Tom Hammond are two of several partners who comprise Peacock Stable, which owns Dabo in partnership with West Point Thoroughbreds. The Temple City gelding was third in the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes, the local prep for the Jeff Ruby Steaks, and is one of several at 10-1 on the morning line.
“I’m looking for more speed to set it up for [Dabo],” said Battaglia after the draw. “He’s a late runner. I think we’ll get more speed than we had in the Battaglia. I’m glad to see it. I’m expecting the pace to be faster than it was last time (in the Battaglia Memorial), plus it’s a longer race. I think the horse will run very well.”
Entries for all 12 of Saturday’s races were drawn Wednesday, including the Maxim Crane Works Bourbonette Oaks (listed), Kubota Kentucky Cup Classic (BT), Latonia Stakes (BT), DRF Bets Rushaway Stakes (BT) and Mayers Electric Company Animal Kingdom Stakes, and are posted at www.equibase.com.
The 1 1/8 mile Jeff Ruby Steaks for 3-year-olds over Polytrack offers 34 points toward the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1): 20 to the winner, eight to the runner-up, four for third place and two for fourth place.
First post Saturday is 1:10 p.m. ET. The stakes series begins with the sixth race at 3:33 p.m. Post time for the Jeff Ruby Steaks is 6:37 p.m.
Saturday’s card offers an all-stakes Pick 5 wager starting with the seventh race and two all-stakes Pick 4 wagers, one beginning with the sixth race and the second beginning with the eighth race.
Established in 1959 as Latonia and renamed in 1986, Turfway Park in Florence is Northern Kentucky’s racetrack. The track hosts live racing from late fall through early spring, maintaining the winter dates for Kentucky’s year round live racing circuit, and offers simulcast wagering year round.
Turfway Park
