Red Ruby readies for meeting with top fillies in Alabama

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – As the Kentucky Oaks approached, the connections of Red Ruby dearly wanted her to prove she was among the top 3-year-old fillies in North America. It wasn’t to be. A minor injury stemming from a freak barn accident in March kept Red Ruby in her Keeneland stall on Oaks Day, May 4, as the filly just wasn’t quite ready to resume racing.

“It was painful to sit there and watch the Oaks,” recalled trainer Kellyn Gorder. “But things happen for a reason, I guess. When you do right by the horse, it pays off, I think.”

Exactly two weeks after the Oaks, Red Ruby won the BlackEyed Susan at Pimlico by 4 3/4 lengths. One start later, Red Ruby put forth an even flashier effort when capturing the July 7 Delaware Oaks by 13 lengths, earning a 104 Beyer Speed Figure, the highest in the division this year.

“It was kind of an eyepopping performance,” Gorder said Thursday from his Keeneland base in Lexington, Ky. “I was expecting a big race from her, but that was pretty amazing. It surprised me a little bit. I knew she’d be full of herself, so I trained her the morning of the race, let her run down the lane a little. She was still a little tough to handle in the post parade again, and that’s been a little bit of a concern. But that sure didn’t seem to slow her down.”

Next comes a prime opportunity for Red Ruby to show she’s among the divisional elite. The gray daughter of Tiznow is expected to face divisional leaders Monomoy Girl and Midnight Bisou in the Grade 1 Alabama on Aug. 18 at Saratoga.

“She went back to the track [Thursday] morning, full of energy,” said Gorder, who trains Red Ruby for her ownerbreeders, Sandra and Hargus Sexton and Brandi and Steven Nicholson. “She came out of the race in great shape. We’re tentatively scheduled to fly her Aug. 13 to Saratoga. My job is to keep her happy and healthy between now and then.”

Meanwhile, Monomoy Girl is scheduled to breeze Sunday at Churchill Down for trainer Brad Cox before heading to Saratoga the next day. The Kentucky Oaks winner, she has captured 7 of 8 career races, including a two-length triumph in the June 9 Acorn in her latest start.

Mine Inspector impresses

Trainer Vickie Foley has been fielding inquiries from would-be buyers after Mine Inspector raced to a 7 3/4-length debut victory last Sunday at Ellis Park. The 2-year-old colt broke poorly, yet still proved tons the best.

Jimmy McNerney, the racecaller at Ellis in western Kentucky, was among those impressed.

“Mine Inspector is running a ginormous race here!” McNerney shouted as the colt drew off under James Graham.

Foley, a trainer since 1981, is among a large syndicate that owns the son of Discreetly Mine. She was somewhat puzzled at the relatively low Beyer (34, versus a race par of 62) credited the colt following a finishing time of 1:03.43 for 5 1/2 furlongs over firm turf.

“I’m not saying he beat a whole lot, but it was exciting the way he did it,” said Foley. “We haven’t had a firm offer, but we probably wouldn’t sell anyway because of how many people are involved.”

Foley said the $400,000 Kentucky Downs Juvenile on Sept. 1 is her first main target for Mine Inspector, preferably with an allowance race before then.

Four allowances featured

An excellent nine-race card highlighted by no fewer than four allowances (races 4, 5, 7, 9) is on tap for Sunday at Ellis as the first three-day week of the 30-day meet comes to an end.

Crosswalk, a promising 3-year-old trained by Neil Howard, is the most prominent name on the card. Even though he is facing older horses for the first time, the City Zip colt figures as a solid favorite in race 5, a $44,000 second-level allowance at six furlongs.

First post daily at Ellis is 12:50 p.m. Central. The next stakes, the $50,000 Good Lord for sprinters, is set for next Sunday, July 22.

Chuan giving Kentucky a try

Martin Chuan (pronounced “Schwann”), a 23-year-old native of Peru, won with his first mount of the year in North America, booting home Angelo’s Ashes in the fourth race last Sunday at Ellis. Chuan had just one mount on this continent in 2013 and one in 2017.

Chuan, whose book is being handled by Jake Romans, has won numerous Group 1 races in his home country, where he ranks second in purse earnings this year. He was named on 11 mounts this week at Ellis, including five Sunday.

◗ Two Ellis jockeys, Calvin Borel and Declan Cannon, will be sitting out next week (July 20-22) when serving three-day suspensions for riding infractions stemming from July 6 races. Borel is being penalized for his ride on Jill’s Passion, disqualified from second to third, and Cannon for his ride on Yaafour, disqualified from second to fourth.