Fulleffort and the best response in the Jeff Ruby Steaks, to dream of the Derby

he son of Liam's Map stepped up strongly on the Turfway Park synthetic track and now begins to think about the first Saturday in May

The gray Fulleffort virtually guaranteed himself a spot in the Derby / TURFWAY PARK

FLORENCE, Kentucky (Special for Turf Diario).— With a steady stride and a heart on his sleeve, Fulleffort finally found his reward on Saturday afternoon at Turfway Park. After a winter where his long-distance rallies always fell just short, the increase in distance proved to be the key that allowed the defender of St. Elias Stable and Starlight Racingto reach glory in the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3), with a US$ 777,000 purse and a direct passport toward the roses.

There was some uncertainty beforehand regarding the status of Irad Ortiz Jr., the official rider for the Brad Coxtrainee, following that spill suffered on March 12 at Gulfstream Park. But the five-time Eclipse Award winner cleared any doubts early in the day, winning a couple of races before the main event and demonstrating that his dominance remains intact.

Unlike his trips in the Leonatus Stakes (L) or the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes (L), where he trailed near the back, Ortiz decided that this time Fulleffort should not give up so much ground. After closely following fractions of 23s18/100, 46s16/100, and 1m11s34/100, the son of Liam's Map was already within striking distance of the leaders midway through the far turn.

Upon entering the stretch, the outlook was different: he only had to break the resistance of Stark Contrast(Caravaggio). With a notable display of strength, the heavy favorite drew away with authority to finish winning by 2 1/2 lengths in a total time of 1m49s94/100 for the 1,800 meters over the demanding Tapeta surface.

"He has a very powerful closing kick," Irad Ortiz Jr. commented after the celebration. "I knew he was going to respond and the stretch-out in distance suited him perfectly. I think he will continue to evolve," added the jockey, who was one of the stars of the afternoon. Behind the winner, Stark Contrast maintained second place, leaving Medici(Into Mischief) third several lengths back.

The joy in the winner's circle was total, especially for Jack Wolf, the face of Starlight Racing. "It's funny, we've been in many big races, but I never doubted because of the position where Irad brought him the whole way. When he took off, he simply extended his stride. He’s a very good horse," the owner confessed to the gathered media.

With the 100 points obtained for the Road to the Kentucky Derby (G1), the colt has secured his place in the Churchill Downs starting gates on May 2. The big question, of course, lies in the surface change: Fulleffort has never raced on dirt, having started his campaign on turf before moving to the Turfway synthetic. However, his morning breezes in Kentucky were on dirt and his team is fully confident. "What he showed today, regardless of the footing, is that the longer the distance, the better for him," Wolf emphasized.

Bred in Kentucky by Athens Woods, the brand-new winner is a son of the stakes winner Callmethesqueeze (Awesome Again), making him a half-brother to the standout Power Squeeze (Union Rags), heroine of last season's Alabama Stakes (G1). Purchased for US$ 425,000 during the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sales, Fulleffort became the first graded stakes winner of the year for the stallion Liam's Map, who stands at Lane's End for a fee of US$ 50,000.

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