California Burrito moved to the head of the class among Kentucky Derby hopefuls at Turfway Park last month by winning the track’s first points race, the John Battaglia Memorial. He bested a big field, but back in the barn was Grade 2 winner First Resort, Godolphin’s morning-line favorite who was scratched due to injury. California Burrito on Saturday will take the next step on Turfway’s road to the Derby, but powerhouse Godolphin has another challenger to face him in Grade 2 winner Poster. They are part of an overflow field for the Grade 3, $777,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks, the richest race in Turfway Park’s history. The Ruby, a 1 1/8-mile race on Tapeta, is one of six stakes on the track’s marquee card and awards points toward the May 3 Derby on a 100-50-25-15-10 scale. Just two winners of Turfway’s signature Derby prep have gone on to wear the roses – Lil E. Tee in 1992 and Animal Kingdom in 2011 – but the race has had a major impact on the American classics the past three years. Rich Strike, the upset Derby winner in 2022, was third in the Ruby, while 2023 Ruby winner Two Phil’s finished second in the Derby. Last year, Seize the Grey was third in the Ruby and went on to win the Preakness. California Burrito has thrived locally, winning back-to-back races on the front end under Irving Moncada. In the Battaglia on Feb. 22, California Burrito disposed of the other pace and then held off Baby Max by a half-length. :: DRF Road to the Derby Package Available Now! Save 37% on key handicapping essentials through Kentucky Derby Day. Poster is based at Turfway with Eoin Harty, but the colt has never raced here. He won his first two starts on turf before moving to dirt and winning the Grade 2 Remsen at Aqueduct by a nose last December. In his 3-year-old debut, he was third in the Sam F. Davis on Feb. 8 behind John Hancock, who runs in Saturday’s Louisiana Derby, and subsequent Tampa Bay Derby winner Owen Almighty. “There was probably a little bit of a speed bias on the track that day,” said Michael Banahan, Godolphin’s director of bloodstock in the U.S. “Reflecting on it, I think he was the only horse to be finishing up and came on with a nice run.” Godolphin considered races at Tampa, Colonial Downs, and Fair Grounds for Poster, but ultimately elected not to ship the colt, a May 20 foal, and try him on Tapeta. “Just that extra bit of time without throwing too much at him, having to ship, led us in that direction,” Banahan said. “We won’t ultimately know [racing on Tapeta] until it happens. He trains fine on it. He wouldn’t ‘wow’ you – I think he’s one of those horses who maybe keeps his best ’til race day.” Pressure on California Burrito, who set a relatively modest pace in the Battaglia, would suit Poster. California Burrito drew post 3 and is sandwiched between the other speed. Front-running Charlie’s to Blame, from post 2, is coming off a win in the Kitten’s Joy on turf. From Post 8 comes Grade 3-placed Innovator, who chased before caving in the Grade 2 Rebel. “I don’t expect he’s gonna get 24 [for his opening quarter] in this next one. They’re gonna be a little snappier on the front end,” said California Burrito’s trainer, Tom Drury Jr. “The other day, when I breezed him, I broke him off behind a couple others and had Irving tuck in behind them, and he came back and said he was like driving a sports car. He could swing out and do whatever he wanted to do with him. “We weren’t looking to set the track on fire as much as we wanted to just throw a little situation at him and give him a little reminder that he doesn’t have to be on the engine. We know our horse has got stop and go to him, and we’re gonna take full advantage of that.” Baby Max won Turfway’s Leonatus Stakes in January over Chunk of Gold, who was subsequently second in the Grade 2 Risen Star and is entered in the Louisiana Derby. Baby Max wasn’t there in time to get California Burrito in the Battaglia but was opening up on the rest of the field. Trainer Kelsey Danner adds blinkers for the Ruby. “He was a little green down the lane in the late stages of the race, and I think he’ll be more settled with blinkers,” Danner told Turfway press officials. Maximum Promise was third in the Battaglia after being jammed up at the start, notably making up ground on a track that was kind to forwardly placed runners. He’s Not Joking won the Grade 3 Grey at Woodbine last year. Grade 3-placed Giocoso, allowance winner Flying Mohawk, and maiden winners Calling Card, Curvino, and Flying Gambit complete the main body of the field of 12. The maiden Candytown is an also-eligible. The sister race to the Ruby is the $300,000 Bourbonette Oaks, a Kentucky Oaks points race. The card also includes the Grade 3, $300,000 Kentucky Cup Classic and $250,000 Latonia Stakes for older horses, and the $250,000 Rushaway Stakes and $250,000 Animal Kingdom Stakes for 3-year-olds. First post is 12:45 p.m. Eastern. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.