A (LA)t at Steak in these Kentucky Derby Preps

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First, be sure to see the Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park, in Florence, KY. Race 12 on a card of 13 is loaded with twelve thoroughbreds, as the last two entries were listed as also eligible. All are KY bred colts except two are gelded and Circle P is (MD) bred as indicated below. The all weather track will be raced upon at a distance of 1 and 1/8 miles at 6:25 PM ET. Inaugurated in 1972, this Grade III stakes has a $700,000 purse. The Jeff Ruby Steaks awards a big hike in points , offering 100-50-25-15-10 points to the first 5 finishers in respective order. The entries are listed as follows by post/horse/(state of breeding)/jockey/trainer/owner/morning-line odds/and previous Kentucky Derby prep points:

1. Freedom Principle/Adam Beschizza/Jose Garoffalo/Echo Papa Racing Corp./30-1
2. Dancing Groom/Lanfranco Dettori/Antonio Sano/Alexandres, LLC./20-1/10 points by finishing third in the Champagne, fifth in the Holy bull and fifth in the Fountain of Youth
3. Lucky Jeremy/Gerado Corrales/William Morey/Jeremy Ramsland/8-1/6 point with third place finish in the Sunland Park Derby
4. Noted/Luis Saez/Todd Pletcher/Repole Stable/10-1
5. Agate Road (SCRATCHED and moved to the Louisiana Derby)/Jose Ortiz/Todd Pletcher/Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable/7-2/10 points with a second place finish in the Sam F. Davis Stakes
6. Northern Flame/Julien Leparoux/Kenneth McPeek/Jack Oxley, Harold Lerner, LLC., Awc Stables and Magdalena Racing/5-1/18 points after finishing fourth in the Breeders’ Futurity, fifth in the Street Sense and third in the Rebel
7. Woodcourt/Luan Machado/Cipriano Contreras/Contreras Stable, Inc./8-1/10 points from fourth in the Rebel
8. Otello/Javier Castellano/Christophe Clement/WinStar Farm, LLC. and Siena Farm, LLC./15-1
9. Sieze The Grey/Nik Juarez/D. Wayne Lukas/MyRacehorse/6-1/2 points finishing fourth in the Iroquis
10. Endlessly/Umberto Rispoli/Michael McCarthy/Amerman Racing Stables, LLC./5-2
11. Baytown Chatterbox -gelding/Albin Jimenez/Paul McEntee/Baytown Parnership and Resolute Racing Alliance, LLC./50-1
12. West Saratoga/Jesus Lopez Castanon/Larry Demeritte/Harry L. Veruchi/20-1/17 points from finishing first in the Iroquis, fifth in the Breeders’ Futurity and third in the Sam F. Davis
13. Circle P (MD) – gelding/Tyler Conner/Flint W. Stites/DeSales 85, LLC./30-1
14. Triple Espresso/Jose Ortiz/Todd Pletcher/Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable/12-1

Next, the Louisiana Derby posts at 6:42 PM ET in New Orleans, LA. Dating back to 1894, this year’s Grade II stakes is the final race on a card of 12. This Fair Grounds’ dirt track race is 1 and 3/16 miles and the purse is $1 Million dollars. Again, 100-50-25-15-10 points are at stake. The all KY bred and colt entries are listed as follows by post/horse/jockey/trainer/owner/morning-line odds/and previous Kentucky Derby prep points:

1. Triple Espresso (SCRATCHED and moved to the Jeff Ruby Steaks)/Luis Saez/Todd Pletcher/Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable/20-1
2. Hall of Fame/Ricardo Santana, Jr./Steven Asmussen/Mrs. John Magnier, Micaheal B. Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg, Gandharvi, LLC. and Brooke T. Smith/8-1
3. Antiquarian/John Velazquez/Todd Pletcher/Centennial Farms/12-1
4. Agate Road/Irad Ortiz, Jr./Todd Pletcher/Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable/8-1/10 points with a second place finish in the Sam F. Davis Stakes
5. Catching Freedom/Flavien Prat/Brad Cox/Albaugh Family Stables, LLC./4-1/25 points with a win in the Smarty Jones and third in the Risen Star
6. Awesome Ruta/Michael Murrill/Joseph Foster/Tri-Star Racing, LLC. and Cimarron TTT Farms, LLC./30-1
7. Honor Marie/Ben Curtis/D. Whitworth Beckman/Ribble Farms, LLC., Michael H. Eiserman, Earl I. Silver, Kenneth E. and Daniel Fishbein/8-1/15 points finishing first in the Kentucky Jockey Club and fifth in the Risen Star
8. Next Level/Jose Riqueime/Keith Desormeaux/Don’t Tell My Wife Stables/30-1/
9. Real Mean Violin/Corey Lanerie/Kenneth McPeek/Tilted Shamrock Stables/20-1/5 points from finishing second in the Kentucky Jockey Club
10. Common Defense/Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr./Kenneth McPeek/David A. Bernsen, LLC., Tony and Michael Holmes and Norevale Farm/6-1/27 points from fifth in the Southwest and second in the Rebel
11. Tuscan Gold/Tyler Gaffalione/Chad Brown/William H. Lawrence, Walmac Farm and Stonestreet Stables, LLC./8-1
12. Track Phantom/Joel Rosario/Steven Asmussen/L and N Racing, LLC., Clark O. Brewster, Jerry Caroom and Breeze Easy, LLC./3-1/55 points from first in both the Gun Runner and Lecomte and second in the Risen Star

Additionally, the fourth and final race on The Japan Road To The Kentucky Derby is the Fukuryu Stakes. On 3/25/24, this stakes will take place at Nakayama Racecourse in Chiba, Japan at 15:10. The Fukuryu was inaugurated in 2000. The race is 1800 meters, approximately 1 and 1/8 miles, on dirt with a purse if $265,000. 40-20-12-8-4 points will be awarded.

There is a whole (LA)t at steak this weekend for those hoping to get one of just twenty spots in the 150th Kentucky Derby. I wish them all the very best. If you are not attending the races, CNBC and Peacock are televising the Jeff Ruby Steaks and the Louisiana Derby from 6 to 7 PM ET. Varying post times can be viewed on FanDuel TV. Thank you for taking time to read Thoroughbred U. I hope to see some of you back at Keeneland Race Course in a few weeks. Leave a comment to let me know if you will be there.

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