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‘A’ for Effort: Fulleffort Breaks Through in Jeff Ruby Steaks

| 6:55 pm

Fulleffort (Liam’s Map), a rallying second in both of the local preps, punched his ticket to the Kentucky Derby with a powerful win in Saturday’s GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park.

Favored at 9-5, the Leonatus S. and John Battaglia Memorial S. runner-up raced in ninth through fractions of :23.18 and :47.16. The gray began to wind up beneath Irad Ortiz, Jr. on the far turn, came rolling up four wide approaching the quarter pole and kept on motoring down the stretch, finishing up in a field-best :12.99 to win with authority by 2 1/2 lengths.

Stark Contrast (Caravaggio), last year’s runner-up in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, was second. Medici (Into Mischief) held on for third after setting the early pace.

“He has a strong closing kick,” Ortiz said. “I knew he’d come with his best run and he handled stretching out in distance really well. I think he’s continuing to improve.”

“He’s a hard-knocking horse that continues to improve,” said Trace Messina, assistant to winning trainer Brad Cox. “He does everything we ask of him and trained really well into this race. We’ll talk it over with Brad and the team to decide next steps, but we’re very happy for everyone involved to get the job done today.”

The Jeff Ruby Steaks awards 100-50-25-15-10 points to the top five finishers on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

Pedigree Notes:

Fulleffort, a half-brother to GI Alabama S. heroine Power Squeeze (Union Rags), brought $425,000 from St. Elias Stable and Starlight Racing as a Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling. He becomes the 15th graded/32nd stakes winner for Liam’s Map. Fulleffort is the most recent produce listed for his MSW dam Callmethesqueeze. She was bred to Into Mischief for 2026. Callmethesqueeze brought $50,000 from breeder Athens Woods carrying Fulleffort at the 2022 Keeneland November sale.

Saturday, Turfway Park
JEFF RUBY STEAKS-GIII, $777,000, Turfway, 3-21, 3yo, 1 1/8m (AWT), 1:49.94, ft.
1–FULLEFFORT, 123, c, 3, by Liam’s Map
                1st Dam: Callmethesqueeze (MSW, $324,499), by Awesome Again
                2nd Dam: Mop Squeezer, by Roanoke
                3rd Dam: Honey League Girl, by Honey Jay
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($425,000
Ylg ’24 FTSAUG). O-St. Elias Stable & Starlight Racing; B-Athens
Woods LLC (KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $449,700.
Lifetime Record: 7-3-2-1, $694,115. *1/2 to Call On Mischief
(Into Mischief), SW, $283,237; Power Squeeze (Union Rags),
GISW, $1,027,150. Werk Nick Rating: C. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Stark Contrast, 123, c, 3, Caravaggio–Catch the Eye, by
Quality Road. O-Amerman Racing, LLC; B-Jerry Amerman (KY);
T-Michael W. McCarthy. $149,900.
3–Medici, 123, c, 3, Into Mischief–Avenge, by War Front.
1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O-Bass II, Perry R. and Bass,
Ramona S.; B-Bass Stables, LLC (KY); T-Richard E. Mandella.
$74,950.
Margins: 2HF, 3HF, 2. Odds: 1.91, 2.22, 7.83.
Also Ran: Stop the Car, Argos, Brave Force, Two Out Hero, Black Hornet, Turf Star, Maximus Prime, Baytown Dreamer, Chaos Agent. Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.