California Burrito’s résumé has looked better over time as horses he tangled with last year have come back with strong efforts. And now, with less than 10 weeks to the Kentucky Derby, he has further burnished his credentials. California Burrito won the John Battaglia Memorial last Saturday night at Turfway Park, putting himself at the forefront of the Florence, Ky., track’s road to the Derby. California Burrito earned 20 points toward the Derby starting gate for his half-length win over favored Baby Max, and debuts on Daily Racing Form’s Derby Watch this week at 50-1. Trainer Tom Drury Jr. said that the Army Mule colt, who he trains for Aaron and Victoria Haberman, emerged from that win in good order. “He’s been a really straightforward, easy kind of horse to train,” Drury said. Rather than shipping elsewhere for a final Derby prep, Drury said the Grade 3, $777,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks on March 22 at Turfway is the “logical spot” for California Burrito’s next start. That race awards points toward the Derby on a 100-50-25-15-10 scale California Burrito, who earned a career-high 92 Beyer Speed Figure in the Battaglia, has now won three times in six career starts, with solid performances on dirt at Churchill Downs last year. He won his maiden there last September while running for a $150,000 tag, besting Instant Replay by six lengths. Instant Replay most recently won an allowance/optional-claiming race at Fair Grounds with a 92 Beyer, and is bound for the Louisiana Derby. :: KENTUCKY DERBY 2025: Point standings, prep schedule, news, and more California Burrito then finished second in a Churchill allowance to Magnitude, who won this month’s Grade 2 Risen Star with a 108 Beyer, the highest figure of this class. Magnitude has since been sidelined by an ankle chip. “Not at any point were we gonna get by him, but we ran right up to him and let him know we were there,” Drury said of the race against Magnitude. California Burrito has now won back-to-back races around two turns at Turfway. He was a 7 1/4-length winner in a Jan. 24 allowance, in which he got away with a very slow pace on the Tapeta – 26.13 seconds for his opening quarter and 51.64 for the half. On Saturday night, he was pressed on the lead by longshot Maitre D through more honest splits of 24.50 and 49.41, then held sway through the stretch when Baby Max, winner of the Leonatus Stakes at Turfway, had dead aim. The Jeff Ruby in recent years has emerged as a meaningful Triple Crown prep. Rich Strike finished third in 2022 before his upset win in the Kentucky Derby. Two Phil’s, the 2023 Ruby winner, was second in the Derby. Seize the Grey ran third at Turfway last year en route to winning the Preakness Stakes. Along with California Burrito and potentially Baby Max, others who have been mentioned by their connections as early candidates for the Ruby include Turfway-based Chunk of Gold, second to Baby Max in the Leonatus and to Magnitude in the Risen Star; Charlie’s to Blame, winner of the Kitten’s Joy on turf; and American Promise and Flying Mohawk. The Ruby is one of six stakes, worth more than $2.1 million combined, on Turfway’s marquee March 22 program. That day will also include prep action toward the Kentucky Oaks, as the $300,000 Bourbonette Oaks awards points toward the filly classic on a scale of 50-25-15-10-5. :: Subscribe to the DRF Post Time Email Newsletter: Get the news you need to play today's races!  Drury will likely have a starter in the Bourbonette in Claiborne Farm homebred Admit, who was second to White Rocks in the local prep, the Cincinnati Trophy last Friday night. Admit was fourth, 9 1/2 lengths behind loose leader White Rocks, at the halfway point. She rallied in the stretch to miss by 1 1/2 lengths. The top two earned 20 and 10 points, respectively, toward the Kentucky Oaks. “I certainly think her effort earned a chance in the Bourbonette,” Drury said. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.