Brazilian Jockey Luan Machado and the Dream of Reaching the Kentucky Derby with Final Gambit

The Juddmonte colt delivered a spectacular performance last Saturday, capturing the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) at Turfway Park

Luan Machado all smiles after victory in the Jeff Ruby Steaks

FLORENCE, Kentucky (Special to Turf Diario) – South American jockeys continue to shine in some of the biggest races in the United States. Just days ago, Tiago Pereira made headlines at Santa Anita Park, while Héctor Berríos and Jorge Ruiz Díaz also had standout performances over the weekend.

Not to be outdone, Brazilian rider Luan Machado made his own statement on Saturday at Turfway Park, delivering a flawless ride aboard Final Gambit to capture the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3, 1 1/8 miles, All Weather, $776,364) and secure valuable points on the road to the Kentucky Derby.

A homebred for Juddmonte, the striking gray colt put on a spectacular display. After breaking last, he trailed the field for much of the race before launching a powerful wide rally around the far turn. Unleashing a devastating late charge down the stretch, Final Gambit surged past his rivals with 200 meters to go, drawing off to win by 3 1/2 lengths over Flying Mohawk (Karakontie), with Maximum Promise (Maximum Security) another half-length back in third. The final time was 1:50.10.

Trained by Brad Cox, Final Gambit entered the race off an easy maiden victory over the same surface, once again under Machado. The colt took a massive step forward with this performance.

"I knew the key was to keep Final Gambit in the clear around the turn, but I was a bit concerned about how wide the leaders were traveling," Machado said. "Sometimes, when he gets stuck between horses, he doesn't give his best. But once he found his space in the stretch, he really exploded in the final furlong—it was an impressive finish."

By the outstanding Not This Time (Giant's Causeway), Final Gambit is the second runner out of Pachinko, a Tapit mare with a modest racing career but a deep pedigree. She is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Announce (Selkirk), G2 winner Mexican Gold (Medaglia d’Oro), and multiple stakes-placed runners Vanbrugh (First Defense), Wessex (Unbridled’s Song), and Straight Thinking (Mizzen Mast), the latter having produced stakes winner Straight Answer (Kodiac). This is the famed family of Zafonic (Gone West), Zamindar (Gone West), and Choice Spirit (Danzig).

With 100 points added to his tally, Final Gambit has all but secured his spot in the Kentucky Derby, setting the stage for the first Saturday in May.