Turfway Park’s biggest day of racing was run without spectators Saturday, due to coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns.
Attendance was restricted to owners, trainers, essential personnel and credentialed media.
https://www.facebook.com/mark.hansel.10/videos/10215651762183502/
Jeff Ruby Steaks Day – the day in pictures. Saturday’s Jeff Ruby Steaks Day was aptly described by Turfway Park General Manager Daniel “Chip” Bach as surreal. There was plenty of action on track, as top tier horses, jockeys and trainers competed in six stakes races. The grandstand, however, was nearly empty, as attendance was limited to owners, trainers, essential personnel and media due to COVID-19 concerns.
Betting was only permitted through online wagering platforms.
Turfway Park General Manager Daniel “Chip” Bach described the day as “surreal.”
Bach
“Having all of these great horses here and this great race card and no friends to share it with is kind of disappointing,” Bach said. “Obviously, most of our patronage is through TV and they responded – we handled very well today and we had great racing. The champion of the Jeff Ruby Stakes is the real deal and Irad Ortiz came down to ride him, that was very exciting stuff.”
Traditionally, fans flock to Turfway for a full day of racing, highlighted by the Bourbonette Oaks and Jeff Ruby Stakes (G3), that award points toward eligibility for the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby, respectively.
I miss the annual rite of spring, the Jeff Ruby VIP tent and all of the people coming here, so we’ll have to do it next year,” Bach said. “These are interesting times and we did the best we could, given the conditions, with the concerns over the coronavirus (COVID-19).
A total of six stakes races were run on the 12-race Jeff Ruby Steaks Day card. Summaries of the stakes races on the undercard are included below.
For a recap of the Jeff Ruby Steaks and the Bourbonette Oaks, click here.
Nun The Less repeats in $150,000 Twinspires Kentucky Cup Classic
Nun the Less is led into the paddock after capturing the TwinSpires Kentucky Cup Classic Saturday (photos by Mark Hansel).
Crystal Racing Enterprises and Contreras Stable’s classy Nun the Less became the first back-to-back winner of the $150,000 TwinSpires Kentucky Cup Classic.
Nun the Less, a 10-time winner, was ridden to victory by Rodney Prescott for trainer Cipriano Contreras.
Nun the Less sat in eighth early, about six lengths off the early pace of Lanier, who led the field of 12 older horses up the backstretch. Prescott tipped Nun the Less three wide at the three-eighths pole to begin his charge at pacesetting Lanier, collared the leader at the head of the stretch and scored a comfortable 4 1/2-length victory.
With his repeat victory in the Kentucky Cup Classic, Nun the Less improved his record to 35-10-5-9. He is undefeated, four-for-four, at Turfway Park.
Nun the Less rewarded his backers and paid $12.80, $4.20 and $3.20. The 2019 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) winner Somelikeithotbrown, who sat just in front of Nun the Less in the early stages of the race, closed ground for second and returned $3 and $2.60 as the 4-5 favorite. Signalman, with his usual late-running style, finished third and returned $4.20.
Blended Citizen, Space Mountain, Lanier, Peekacho, Dragon Bay, Royal Mesa, Lo’s Journey, Moon Over Montana and Flying Scotsman completed the order of finish. Thirsty Betrayal and Apreciado were scratched.
Nun the Less is an 8-year-old gelded son of Candy Ride (ARG) out of the Forest Wildcat mare Nunnery. He was bred in Kentucky by Claiborne Farm and is owned by Crystal Racing Enterprises and Contreras Stable, Inc.
Nun the Less completed the 1 1/8-mile Kentucky Cup Classic in a hand-timed 1:48.80, nearly two seconds faster than his clocking in last year’s race, 1:50.79.
Vanzzy goes coast-to-coast in $100,000 Rushaway Stakes
The connections of Vanzzy after winning the Rushaway Stakes on Jeff Ruby Steaks Day Saturday.
Daniel Ryan’s improving 3-year-old colt Vanzzy went wire-to-wire in Saturday’s 33rd running of the $100,000 Rushaway Stakes at Turfway Park.
Trained by Mike Pino and ridden by East Coast-based rider Kendrick Carmouche, Vanzzy broke sharply from the field of seven 3-year-olds and easily assumed the lead through an opening quarter-mile fraction of :24.13. Carmouche continued to rate Vanzzy up the backstretch through a comfortable half-mile clocking of :47.93, while Uncork the Bottle and Something Natural tracked second and third, respectively. Turning for home, through three-quarters of a mile in 1:11.51, Carmouche and Vanzzy were able to kick clear of their rivals to win by 4 1/2 lengths. Blanket of Roses, under Irad Ortiz Jr., was able to close from more than 10 lengths off the early pace to nail Something Natural on the wire for second.
Vanzzy, who was sent off the 2-1 favorite, returned $6.40, $3.80 and $3. Blanket of Roses returned $4, $2.80 while Something Natural paid $2.40 to show.
Crypto Cash, Uncork the Bottle, Memorable and Amen Corner completed the Rushaway Stakes running order. Drew was scratched.
Vanzzy is a Kentucky-bred son of Verrazano out of the Forest Wildcat mare Selva. He was bred by Alexander-Groves Thoroughbreds. Vanzzy’s record now stands at 6-3-1-0 with two of his three victories occurring on a synthetic surface.
The Rushaway Stakes is named in honor of the brilliant Thoroughbred Rushaway, who won the 1936 Illinois Derby and Latonia Derby on consecutive days. The race generally serves as an alternative option for the Jeff Ruby Steaks.
Rogue Too goes wire-to-wire in $100,000 Latonia Stakes
Rogue Too and jockey Rogelio Miranda on their way to get their picture taken after winning the Latonia Stakes Saturday.
Florence, Ky., (March 14, 2020) – Rogue Too, the definition of a horse for course at Turfway Park, recorded her eighth local victory with a wire-to-wire score in Saturday’s 38th running of the $100,000 Latonia Stakes.
Trained by Doug Danner and ridden by Rogelio Miranda, Rogue Too was hustled out of the gate early and showed her typical early foot through a swift quarter-mile clocking of :23.50. She was joined on the pace by Jeannie’s Beepbeep as the duo dueled through an opening half-mile in :46.52. Miranda continued to propel Rogue Too just outside the three-eighths pole as she put away her early rival, while Harmless, who was tracking in third under Kendrick Carmouche, attempted to reel in the pacesetters. Rogue Too’s lead proved to be insurmountable as she turned for home in front by five lengths. Speedy Solution, the 7-2 morning line favorite, was able to close ground late on the inside to pass a tiring Harmless for second. Final time for the one-mile Latonia Stakes was 1:36.94.
Rogue Too, who now rides a six-race win streak, returned $8.40, $4 and $3.20. Speedy Solution, under Gerardo Corrales, returned $4.60 and $3.60, while Harmless returned $4.60.
Red Dane, Rumandice, Maid in the Mist, Flash n’ Dance, Miss Mosaic, Gorgeous in Rags, New Roo, Call Me Kayla and Jeannie’s Beepbeep completed the order of finish.
Rogue Too, a former $10,000 claimer, improved her overall record to 28-10-4-2. Rogue Too is a 4-year-old daughter of First Dude out of the Thunder Gulch mare Pleasant Thunder. She was bred by Rowling Oaks Farm in Florida, making her ineligible for the $25,000 of the purse provided by the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund.
Formerly known as the Wintergreen Stakes, the Latonia Stakes was renamed in 2018 in honor of the original name of Turfway Park.
Bango cruises to track-record performance in $75,000 Mayers Electric Company Animal Kingdom Stakes
Former leading jockey Rafael Bejarano made a successful return to Turfway Park Saturday, winning the Mayers Electric Company Animal Kingdom Stakes aboard Bango in track record time.
Tamaroak Partners’ Bango cruised to a 2 1/2-length victory and set a new Turfway Park track record in Saturday’s 6 1/2-furlong, $75,000 Mayers Electric Company Animal Kingdom Stakes.
Bango stopped the clock in a scintillating 1:14.99, setting a record by .36 seconds. The previous record was set by Cielo Song in 2006.
Ridden by Rafael Bejarano and trained by Greg Foley, Bango sat just off the blazing pace set by My Man Flintstone and Williston Way as the dueling leaders clipped through an opening quarter-mile in :21.06 and a half-mile time of 43.71. Just outside of the three-eighths pole, Bejarano sent Bango three wide past a tiring Williston Way and was able to collar My Man Flintstone inside the eighth-pole.
Bango rewarded his backers and returned $14.60, $7 and $3.20. My Man Flintstone, under jockey Corey Lanerie, returned $7.60 and $3.80, while Merchants of Cool, ridden by Gerardo Corrales, closed for third and returned $2.40 as the even-money favorite.
Amongst, Williston Way, Newstome, Howard of Luck and Torres Del Paine completed the running order. Kierkegaard was scratched.
This was Foley’s third victory in the Animal Kingdom. He previously teamed with Bejarano to win in 2004 with Silver Minister and in 2003 with Champali.
Bango is a 3-year-old son of Congrats out of the Smart Strike mare Josaka. He was bred in Kentucky by Fred and Debbie Schwartz’s Tamaroak Partners. Bango improved his record to 6-3-1-1 and earnings of $181,077.
The Animal Kingdom Stakes was renamed in 2018 in honor of the 2011 Kentucky Derby winner and Jeff Ruby Steaks winner (then the Spiral Stakes). The race was given a $25,000 purse hike for 2020.
