The race seems to change names as frequently as the Sun Bowl, which has undergone 10 name changes thanks to corporate sponsorships in its 90-year history.
Same concept with the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3), a Kentucky Derby (G1) prep formerly known as the Spiral Stakes, the Jim Beam Stakes, the Galleryfurniture.com Stakes, and the Lane’s End Stakes.
Since its inception in 1972, the series has featured many top horses in its various incarnations. Its winners include Derby heroes Animal Kingdom and Lil E. Tee; Hall of Fame filly Serena’s Song; Preakness Stakes (G1) and Belmont Stakes (G1) champion Hansel; and Preakness winners Prairie Bayou and Summer Squall.
In 2023, Two Phil’s won the Jeff Ruby before running second to Mage in the Run for the Roses. One year earlier, Rich Strike prepped for his Derby shocker with a third-place finish in Turfway Park’s signature event.
| Year | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Final Gambit | Luan Machado | Brad H. Cox | 1:50.10 |
| 2024 | Endlessly | Umberto Rispoli | Michael W. McCarthy | 1:50.15 |
| 2023 | Two Phil's | Jareth Loveberry | Larry Rivelli | 1:49.03 |
| 2022 | Tiz The Bomb | Brian Hernandez Jr. | Kenneth G. McPeek | 1:48.60 |
| 2021 | Like the King | Drayden Van Dyke | Wesley A. Ward | 1:50.22 |
| 2020 | Field Pass | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Michael J. Maker | 1:49.34 |
On Saturday, the backwater outpost in northern Kentucky will stage the 55th running of the 1 1/8-mile race. Its field of 12 presents an intriguing handicapping puzzle. Turfway switched from dirt to an all-weather surface in 2007, and there’s little synthetic form to study. The only winner over the track is 30-1 shot Brave Force, who just broke his maiden in his sixth try.
Chaos Agent (Gulfstream Park) and Two Out Hero (Woodbine) have one win on an artificial surface. None of the others do, and six never set foot on one.
Amid all the uncertainty are major incentives: a $777,000 purse and a chance to qualify for the Kentucky Derby. The first five finishers earn points on a sliding scale (100-50-25-15-10), with the winner and probably the runner-up earning spots.
Turfway will also run the Bourbonette Oaks (G3), which offers points (50-20-15-10-5) for the Kentucky Oaks (G1). Frontrunner Resplendence (5-1) and closer Resist (12-1) both have two wins at Turfway. Bless Her (8-1) hasn’t raced there but earned the 12-horse field’s top figure on synthetic in a 6¾-length victory last out at Gulfstream.
For those who like to bet on horse racing, here’s a horse-by-horse breakdown of the 2026 Jeff Ruby Stakes from the rail out, with jockey, trainer, and odds in parentheses.
Post time for the 12th race is 6:45 p.m. ET, about 50 minutes after the Bourbonette.
| # | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | M/L | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Turf Star | J R Velazquez | H G Motion | 10/1 | |
| 2 | Fulleffort | I Ortiz, Jr. | B H Cox | 7/2 | |
| 3 | Baytown Dreamer | O Bocachica | P McEntee | 30/1 | |
| 4 | Two Out Hero | G Corrales | K Attard | 8/1 | |
| 5 | Black Hornet | D Cannon | B P Walsh | 12/1 | |
| 6 | Medici | M Demuro | R E Mandella | 6/1 | |
| 7 | Maximus Prime | J D Ramos | A Mitchell | 20/1 | |
| 8 | Chaos Agent | J Rosario | J Carroll | 10/1 | |
| 9 | Brave Force | V Cheminaud | J Sisterson | 30/1 | |
| 10 | Argos | L Machado | B H Cox | 6/1 | |
| 11 | Stark Contrast | K Kimura | M W McCarthy | 5/2 | |
| 12 | Stop The Car | E Morales | B P Walsh | 20/1 |
Trouble-prone colt, 1-for-5 on grass, adds blinkers for synthetic debut coming off seven-week break. Can’t recommend.
Betting verdict: Toss
Strong closer ran two solid seconds in the Turfway Stakes. Consistent son of leading synthetic sire Liam’s Map has the best late-pace figures and will be in the mix late if the fractions are solid.
Betting verdict: Win contender
Respectable fourth last out in the Turfway Stakes. Negatives: Never gets bet and has run many duds (1-for-11).
Betting verdict: Toss
Forgive the ninth-place finish last out, when he stumbled breaking from the far outside, was forced very wide, and never got involved. Crushed his debut on Gulfstream’s Tapeta, wiring a sprint by 12 lengths. Likely pace factor will be a big price.
Betting verdict: Live longshot
He’s 2-for-2 on turf at Fair Grounds, and strong grass form often translates to success on Tapeta. Before that, he was 0-for-4 on dirt with poor speed figures; mixed signals.
Betting verdict: Use underneath
Son of perennial champion sire Into Mischief shapes up as a pace factor after nearly wiring Santa Anita turf stakes. Nearly beat the likely Jeff Ruby favorite Stark Contrast last fall. Deserves long look because Hall of Famer Mandella doesn’t leave California often.
Betting verdict: Use underneath
Plus: Rallied for a close-up third last time in the Turfway stakes. Negatives: 0-for-8 overall, 0-for-5 around two turns.
Betting verdict: Toss
Easily scored first time out, going 1 1/16 miles on Gulfstream’s artificial surface. Speed figure is the field’s best. Alert: Runner-up is 0-for-5, so is an immediate boost into the stakes too much too soon?
Betting verdict: Win contender
Needed six starts for first win, and speed figures are weak. In over his head.
Betting verdict: Toss
Switches barns after going 2-for-5 on turf with capable young Riley Mott. By Nyquist, whose offspring are strong on all-weather. Adds blinkers for Cox, who has a 28-percent win rate with that move and 29% first time he runs a horse.
Betting verdict: Use underneath
McCarthy tries to repeat a winning pattern. Two years ago, he shipped Endlessly from California to dominate the Jeff Ruby. Just like Endlessly, Stark Contrast comes in with three grass wins. Unlike Endlessly, it’s his debut on artificial, but Stark Contrast might have more talent. His close second in Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) behind Irish star Gstaad was brilliant. His 3-year-old debut, an odds-on romp in a Santa Anita Stakes, should set him up for a big effort.
Betting verdict: The Pick
Makes Tapeta debut off a poor 2026 debut, a seventh-place no-show in the Lecomte Stakes (G3) in New Orleans. Walsh is on an extended hot streak, but expecting a major turnaround is a big ask.
Betting verdict: Toss
Ed McNamara is an award-winning racing writer who has covered the sport since 1981 for The Bergen (N.J.) Record, Newsday, ESPN, Thorocap, and USRacing. He is the author of Cajun Racing: From the Bush Tracks to the Triple Crown and Racing Around the World, and a contributor to The Most Glorious Crown and The Racetracks of America. He has also written for racing publications in France and Italy.
