(Turfway Park / Photos by Coady Media)

From the Turfway Park Media Team / Kevin Kerstein:

GRADE III WINNER STARK CONTRAST INVADES FROM SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FOR $777,000 JEFF RUBY STEAKS

FLORENCE, Ky. (Sunday, March 15, 2026) – Amerman Racing’s Grade III winner Stark Contrast will invade Turfway Park from Southern California to face a full field of 12 3-year-olds entered in Saturday’s 55th running of the $777,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks (GIII), the marquee race of the Turfway Park Racing & Gaming Winter/Spring Meet.

The Jeff Ruby Steaks, run at 1 1/8 miles, is part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby Championship Series and will award the winner 100 qualifying points and a spot in the starting gate for the $5 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (GI) on Saturday, May 2 at Churchill Downs.

The blockbuster 13-race program at Turfway Park gets underway at 12:45 p.m. (all times Eastern), with the Jeff Ruby Steaks scheduled as Race 12 at 6:25 p.m. The card also includes the $300,000 TwinSpires Kentucky Cup Classic (GIII), the $300,000 Bourbonette Oaks (Listed), the $250,000 Latonia (Listed), the $250,000 Animal Kingdom and the $250,000 Rushaway.

Along with Stark Contrast, the Jeff Ruby Steaks field also includes David Romanik, Warren Cheekes, Deborah Dougherty, C2 Racing Stable, BAG Racing Stable and Robert Liedel’s Grade I winner Argos; St. Elias Stable and Starlight Racing’s multiple stakes-placed Fulleffort and Gold Square’s stakes winner and Grade I-placed Two Out Hero.

Southern California invader Stark Contrast breaks from post No. 11 in the Jeff Ruby Steaks under jockey Kazushi Kimura. Trained by Michael McCarthy, Stark Contrast won the Zuma Beach Stakes (GIII) by a length and scored a 2 ¼-length victory in the Eddie Logan (Listed) at Santa Anita. The Jeff Ruby Steaks will be Stark Contrast’s first start over a synthetic surface, with all three of his victories coming on turf.

McCarthy won the Jeff Ruby Steaks two years ago with Endlessly, who is entered earlier on the card in the $300,000 TwinSpires Kentucky Cup Classic (GIII).

Trainer Brad Cox entered the duo of Fulleffort and Argos in the Jeff Ruby Steaks.

Fulleffort finished second in both the Leonatus and the John Battaglia Memorial (Listed) at Turfway Park. Prior to those stakes tries, the son of Liam’s Map broke his maiden by a dominating five lengths at Keeneland. Irad Ortiz Jr. rides from post 2.

Cox, who won last year’s Jeff Ruby Steaks with eventual Kentucky Derby fourth-place finisher Final Gambit, also entered Grade I winner Argos. The son of Nyquist was recently transferred to Cox following five starts with Riley Mott, including his head victory in last year’s Summer Stakes (GI) at Woodbine. Luan Machado has the mount from post 10.

Two Out Hero won the Soaring Free Stakes last season at Woodbine prior to finishing third to Argos in the Summer Stakes. Trained by Kevin Attard, Two Out Hero disappointed one month ago in the John Battaglia Memorial when he finished ninth at odds of 4-1.Gerardo Corrales rides from post 4.

Another horse invading from Southern California is Perry Bass II and Ramona Bass’ stakes-placed Medici. Trained by Richard Mandella, Medici finished second in last month’s Pasadena Stakes at Santa Anita. Mirco Demuro rides from post 6.

Trainer Brendan Walsh entered the duo of Black Gold Stakes winner Black Hornet and two-time winner Stop the Car.

Owned by Calumet Farm, Black Hornet scored a 1 ¼-length victory in last month’s Black Gold Stakes at Fair Grounds at odds of 7-1. Declan Cannon rides from post 5.

Stop the Car was targeting the John Battaglia Memorial but was scratched with a minor setback. Owned by Tradewinds Farm, Stop the Car won on debut in a $150,000 maiden claiming contest at Keeneland, then captured a first-level allowance at Churchill Downs. Edgar Morales has the mount from post 12.

The field for the Jeff Ruby Steaks from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

  • Turf Star (John Velazquez, Graham Motion)
  • Fulleffort (Ortiz, Cox)
  • Baytown Dreamer (Orlando Bocachica, Paul McEntee)
  • Two Out Hero (Corrales, Attard)
  • Black Hornet (Cannon, Walsh)
  • Medici (Demuro, Mandella)
  • Maximus Prime (Joe Ramos, Anthony Mitchell)
  • Chaos Agent (Joel Rosario, Josie Carroll)
  • Brave Force (Vincent Cheminaud, Jack Sisterson)
  • Argos (Machado, Cox)
  • Stark Contrast (Kimura, McCarthy)
  • Stop the Car (Morales, Walsh)

          The Jeff Ruby Steaks awards the top 5 finishers qualifying points on a 100-50-25-15-10 scale toward a spot in the starting gate for Kentucky Derby 152.

Live coverage of the Jeff Ruby Steaks will be shown on Peacock and NBC Sports Network from 6-7 p.m. The broadcast also includes the $1 million TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby (GII) at Fair Grounds.

Fans still wishing to purchase tickets can do so by visiting www.turfway.com.