Final Gambit makes winning move in Jeff Ruby score

Kentucky-bred Final Gambit stormed down the lane with a devastating turn of foot to win the $777,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) at Turfway Park. This year’s renewal of the Jeff Ruby, which was bolstered by $227,000 from KTDF, was the richest race ever run at Turfway Park. The win by Final Gambit vaulted the son of Not This Time to second on the Road to the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard with 100 qualifying points.

The gray or roan colt entered the Jeff Ruby off a maiden-breaking win at Turfway Park. Final Gambit broke his maiden in the same fashion he captured his first stakes race with a last-to-first move. With regular rider Luan Machado in the irons in the 1 1/8-mile Jeff Ruby, Final Gambit was last around the first turn after getting bumped at the start. He raced in the four-path around the far turn, swung widest of all into the lane, and rallied strongly in the lane. He drove the past the leaders six wide and drew away in the late stages to win by a commanding 3 ½ lengths over Flying Mohawk. Final Gambit stopped the clock in 1:50.10 in his stakes debut.

Last to First for Final Gambit in Jeff Ruby

“As soon as I started asking him, they started coming back to me very fast,” Machado said to BloodHorse. “Then I was in a situation where I couldn’t go out anymore. I had to wait to try and go through. They accelerated a little bit after the three-eighths and that helped me out a bit to get my way through and go out.

“He lost a lot of ground even though I tried not to,” Machado added. “I believe that (the Kentucky Derby’s 1 ¼ miles) is not going to be a problem; I will have to get on him (in the morning) and see (how he handles dirt). I don’t see a reason for him not to like it.”

With his latest win, Final Gambit improves his record to 4-2-1-1 for trainer Brad Cox. Final Gambit has made three starts over Turfway Park’s synthetic surface. However, he finished third in his career debut last year at Churchill Downs. Final Gambit is produced from the Tapit mare Pachinko, a winner in nine appearances in a racing career in Europe and Kentucky.