Jeff Ruby Steaks

Road to the Kentucky Derby > Jeff Ruby Steaks

Jeff Ruby Race Facts

• Location: Turfway Park, Florence, KY
• Inaugural Race: 1972
• Current Distance: 1 1/8 miles
• Track Type: Left-Handed PolyTrack
• Age Qualifications: Three-year-olds
• Status: Grade 3
• 2024 Purse: $700,000
• 2024 Race Date: Saturday, March 23rd

Formerly known as the Spiral Stakes at Turfway Park, the Jeff Ruby Steaks has seen several great horses come through it's doors over time. When still known as the Spiral Stakes, Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom won the prep before he enter the Kentucky Derby starting gates.

Run on a synthetic surface and also the winter circuit for Kentucky Thoroughbred racing, Turfway has always held some questions on relevancy. In the history of the Spiral and previous prep when Latonia Racetrack was running, several strong contenders in the last 15 years has kept the race worth a set of points towards a Kentucky Derby start.

2024 Jeff Ruby Steaks Results

Exotic Payoffs:

• $2.00 Exacta (10-12): $133.22
• $0.50 Trifecta (10-12-9): $251.46
• $0.10 Superfecta (10-12-9-14): $316.36

Watch the 2024 Jeff Ruby Steaks

History of the Jeff Ruby Steaks

The Jeff Ruby Steaks is the most important Derby prep race held on an artificial track. First held in 1972, the Turfway Park feature is always a good contest. The race has been a part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby series since it began in 2013. However, for the 2018 edition it became less valuable in that series, with the points available being downgraded from 50-20-10-5 for the first four home to 20-8-4-2. In 2021, the points awarded to the finishers increased dramatically to the 100-40-20-10 scale, giving the winner an incredible boost towards qualifying for Derby. Finally in 2023, the points were adjusted once again to award points to the first five finishers (100-40-30-20-10). Currently, the Jeff Ruby Steaks offers 100-50-25-15-10 points to the first five respectively. 

Though it was not an important Classic guide in its early years, the race became very important for a four-year stretch in the early 1990s, when three of its victors – Summer Squall, Lil E. Tee, and Prairie Bayou – would go on to win Classics. Other notable winners were Broad Brush, Serena’s Song, Stephen Got Even, and Flower Alley.

Since Turfway Park was changed to an artificial track in 2006, the race has become less important as a Derby guide, though its winners include 2007 Derby third-place finisher Hard Spun and 2011 winner Animal Kingdom. None of the winners since Animal Kingdom have made a great impact on Derby day.

Jeff Ruby Steaks Past Winners