FLORENCE, Ky. – Final Gambit was the final horse the first time under the wire in the Grade 3, $777,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks, and was still last in the full field of 12 after the opening half-mile. But the striking gray colt made a striking wide move in the lane under Luan Machado, inhaling his foes and pulling clear to a 3 1/2-length score in the richest race in Turfway Park’s history and its signature Kentucky Derby prep. The Ruby awards points toward the May 3 Derby on a 100-50-25-15-10 scale. That hefty haul will assure Final Gambit ($32.14), a Juddmonte homebred trained by Brad Cox, a spot in the starting gate if his connections want to go. The son of the versatile Not This Time would be trying a dirt surface for the first time at Churchill Downs. He has never missed the board in his four career starts, all at one mile. After finishing third in his first outing, on the Churchill turf in November, he was second by half a length in a January maiden at Turfway, then rallied for his first win here on Feb. 15. “He was visually impressive when he broke his maiden here,” Tessa Walden, local assistant to Cox, said. “It gave us confidence he’d come with a run, especially with how he handled the surface this winter.” :: DRF Road to the Derby Package Available Now! Save 37% on key handicapping essentials through Kentucky Derby Day. Final Gambit relished the extra eighth of a mile he got Saturday under Machado, particularly after a poor start. California Burrito, front-running winner of the local prep, the John Battaglia Memorial on Feb. 22, broke out from post 3, bothering several at the start, including Final Gambit, directly to his outside in post 4. But it didn’t bother Juddmonte’s Garrett O’Rourke too strongly as the colt settled in last. “It’s his style of running – that didn’t affect him, because he takes back anyway,” O’Rourke said. Turf stakes winner Charlie’s to Blame broke like a bullet from post 2, scampering clear through the opening quarter in a sharp 22.97 seconds on the Tapeta. Innovator came to press him from the outside, while California Burrito found a good spot, tracking in third in the clear on the outside. Baby Max, winner of the Leonatus Stakes and second in the Battaglia, was just to his inside in his first start with blinkers, joining the fray through the opening half in 47.91 seconds, as favored Poster raced in midpack behind them. Charlie’s to Blame still grimly held the lead midway on the far turn, but California Burrito was in a perfect striking position. Meanwhile, Machado had a choice to make on Final Gambit, who was still 11th of 12, and with seven lengths to make up, with a half-mile remaining. He chose the overland route. “I knew keeping him in the clear around the turn would probably be best, but I was worried with how wide the horses on the front end were going,” Machado said. “Sometimes when he’s between horses he doesn’t try as hard as when he’s in the clear.” It was one of several correct decisions on the day for Machado, Turfway’s leading rider who ultimately took three races on the card. As horses fanned out into the stretch, Final Gambit hit a new gear once straightened away, and came with a powerhouse run, striking the lead inside the eighth pole and drawing clear. Meanwhile, California Burrito, who had taken the lead in upper stretch and looked to be in contention to secure a piece of the action, took an awkward step at the eighth pole en route to finishing seventh. Trainer Tom Drury, Jr., said in a text post-race that the colt cooled out soundly, and believes he tried to jump tire tracks on the stretch. Flying Mohawk, who had also been bothered at the start while breaking from post 5, closed to be second by half a length over Maximum Promise. Favored Poster – winner of the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes last fall and most recently third in the Sam F. Davis Stakes – improved his position while never a serious threat, checking in another three-quarters of a length back in fourth.  Giocoso, Curvino, California Burrito, Innovator, Charlie's to Blame, Baby Max, He's Not Joking, and Calling Card rounded out the order of finish. The maiden Candytown, the lone also-eligible, was the lone scratch. The time for the 1 1/8 miles was 1:50.10. 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. Other winners of the Ruby, under various sponsor names, include classic winners Summer Squall (1990), Hansel (1991), and Prairie Bayou (1993). O’Rourke stopped short of committing to the Derby, saying “everything is on the table” for Final Gambit, and that Cox will play the biggest role in the decision. But it’s a move they are in position to make following Saturday’s score. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.