By Christina Bossinakis
Endlessly continued his near-perfect roll with an emphatic four-length victory in Turfway's GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks Saturday. The win gave the Amerman Racing homebred 100 points, good enough to place him in second behind GII Louisiana Derby scorer Catching Freedom on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard.
Lucky Jeremy (Lookin At Lucky) went to the front early, leading the field into the first turn through an initial quarter in :23.33. Meanwhile, Endlessly took up position toward the back under Umberto Rispoli, several lengths off the lead. Exiting the far turn, Lucky Jeremy continued to show the way as Northern Flame pushed the issue to his outside as West Saratoga mounted a three-wide move. Rispoli continued to bide his time while remaining in the clear, but his mount began to crank up the tempo noticeably approaching the home turn. Several paths wide straightening for home, Endlessly's momentum carried him past his rivals with ease and propelled him to a four-length victory over West Saratoga. Seize the Grey was third.
The winner of his first three career starts, including the GIII Del Mar Juvenile Turf and GIII Zuma Beach S., Endlessly closed out the year with an eighth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita. Making his synthetic bow at Golden Gate, he came home a 1 1/4-length winner in the Feb. 10 El Camino Real Derby.
“I just remained patient with the face pace in front of me,” Rispoli said. “This was his second start on the Tapeta and I think he handled it much better today [than in the El Camino Real Derby]. He was able to get into a much better rhythm. In the stretch he was just so powerful and continued to go strongly through the wire.”
And while his performance thrust him squarely into the Derby mix with the 100 points earned for the win, trainer Michael McCarthy confirmed that the colt would likely run on Derby Day, but not in the Run For The Roses, but in the $600,000 GII American Turf instead.
“This was a really solid effort but I think his best days down the road are on turf,” McCarthy said. “I thought he sat a great trip today being just off a fast pace. He's a very nice colt and mentally has handled everything in stride. I think he has a very bright future ahead of him and he's already very accomplished in his young career.”
Pedigree Notes:
The winner's dam Dream Fuhrever, who is out of French import and SW Society Dream, is a half to the dam of the Amerman's GISW Coffee Clique (Medaglia d'Oro) and MGSW Admission Office (Point of Entry). Also found under the first two dams is Post Script (Quality Road), the dam of last season's Hawthorne Derby winner Act a Fool (Oscar Performance). Dream Fuhrever produced a full-brother to the winner in 2023 and was bred back to the Mill Ridge sire.
The sky's the limit for ENDLESSLY, whose talent just continues to build race after race as he absolutely dominates the GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks at @TurfwayPark 🔥 The son of Oscar Performance earned 100 Kentucky Derby points. pic.twitter.com/YnraQfk2hJ
— TDN (@theTDN) March 23, 2024
Saturday, Turfway
JEFF RUBY STEAKS-GIII, $700,000, Turfway, 3-23, 3yo, 1 1/8m (AWT), 1:50.15, ft.
1–ENDLESSLY, 123, c, 3, by Oscar Performance
1st Dam: Dream Fuhrever, by Langfuhr
2nd Dam: Society Dream (Fr), by Akarad (Fr)
3rd Dam: Society Bride, by Blushing Groom (Fr)
O-Amerman Racing LLC; B-Jerry Amerman (KY); T-Michael W.
McCarthy; J-Umberto Rispoli. $408,000. Lifetime Record:
6-5-0-0, $707,200. Werk Nick Rating: D+.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–West Saratoga, 123, c, 3, Exaggerator–Mo Wicked, by Uncle
Mo. ($11,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Harry L. Veruchi; B-Two
Hearts Farm II LLC (KY); T-Larry W. Demeritte. $136,000.
3–Seize the Grey, 123, c, 3, Arrogate–Smart Shopping, by Smart
Strike. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($300,000 Ylg '22 FTSAUG).
O-MyRacehorse; B-Jamm, Ltd. (KY); T-D. Wayne Lukas.
$68,000.
Margins: 4, HD, HD. Odds: 1.44, 36.25, 6.60.
Also Ran: Triple Espresso, Lucky Jeremy, Woodcourt, Dancing Groom, Northern Flame, Otello, Noted. Scratched: Agate Road, Baytown Chatterbox, Circle P, Freedom Principle.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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