Red Ruby overcomes bad signs en route to win

HOT SPRINGS — There was more for Red Ruby to overcome than a field of quality fillies.

Moments before the start of the $125,000 Martha Washington Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Oaklawn Park on Saturday, Red Ruby reared as jockey Robby Albarado directed her from the paddock into gray mist and onto the racetrack. She remained fractious throughout the post parade.

Significant misbehavior of that sort is rarely overcome by thoroughbreds, but when the gates opened for the Martha Washington, Red Ruby immediately stepped back into character. She tucked into what her trainer Kellyn Gorder later said was an ideal position and charged ahead of second-place Sassy Sienna in the homestretch to win the 1-mile race in 1:39.67 over four others in the field.

The victory earned Ruby Red 10 of the 17 available points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks. Sassy Sienna received four, Cosmic Burst

two for her third-place finish and Tyfosha, the 2-1 favorite, one for finishing fourth.

“This is a big one for us,” Gorder said.

Albarado flew in from New Orleans, where he spends winters riding as a regular at Fair Grounds Race Course, to ride Red Ruby, by Tiznow, for Gorder.

Albarado had ridden both of Red Ruby’s previous races, in October and November at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., site of the Kentucky Oaks on May 4. This was her first race since Nov. 25, which rider and trainer offered as a possible explanation for her behavioral lapse.

“She was really acting out of character for her,” Albarado said. “She was very nervous. I’m not sure why. Maybe it was the layoff, but it was my only concern today. I mean, she’s been a professional since Day One, even before she first raced.”

“I schooled her in the paddock a couple of days ago, and she was just fine,” Gorder said. “She’s usually pretty calm, but maybe it was just the layoff.”

Secret Passion, the long shot in the field at 11-1, charged to the lead from the start and pulled the field through an opening quarter mile in 23.77. Sassy Sienna took the lead in the backstretch and led through a half in 47.87, with Secret Passion one-half length behind in second. Tyfosha was a length farther back in third, a head in front of Red Ruby. Cosmic Burst, the morning-line favorite, was in fifth, another head back.

Cosmic Burst trainer Donnie K. Von Hemel said the race was nowhere near his filly’s best effort.