Final Gambit stormed from last to first to win the $777,000 Jeff Ruby S. (G3) Saturday at Turfway Park, thrusting the 3-year-old colt squarely into the Kentucky Derby (G1) picture.
Final Gambit was just one of three stakes winners Saturday for Not This Time, with Dana’s Beauty winning the Latonia S. at Turfway and Way to Be Marie taking the Tom Benson Memorial S. at Fair Grounds. With two stakes-placed horses on Saturday as well, Not This Time moved to fifth on this year’s General Sire list with nearly $3 million in progeny earnings.
Final Gambit, who entered the Jeff Ruby off a come-from-behind maiden win Feb. 15 at Turfway, was shuffled to the back of the 12-horse field after getting soundly bumped just after the start. Jockey Luan Machado allowed the gray colt to trail the field until he hit the far turn, where he began to gain ground.
Forced to go seven-wide to avoid traffic, Final Gambit came into the stretch full of run and hit the front with about a furlong to go, then poured it on late to win by 3 ½-lengths in 1:50.10 for the nine furlongs on the synthetic track.
“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. He really closed fast down the lane and was impressive late.”
Final Gambit earned 100 points in the Road to the Kentucky Derby Challenge series, securing himself a spot in the May 3rd Run for the Roses.
The winner is owned and bred by Juddmonte, sports a record of 2-1-1 from four starts and has earned $520,639.
