Red Ruby, the fast-rising 3-year-old filly by Tiznow, threw her name into the 2018 Kentucky Oaks picture on Jan. 10th after her second straight daylight victory, this one coming in her stakes debut in the $125,000 Martha Washington S. at Oaklawn [WATCH].
Trained by Kellyn Gorder, the gray filly showed her stretch-running ability was superior to her rivals in her first stakes try, finishing strong to post a decisive 2 ½-length victory under jockey Robby Albarado. She stopped the clock in 1:39.67 for a mile over a sloppy track, defeating Sassy Sienna and Cosmic Burst, two fillies that came into the race with very solid reputations.
Red Ruby is now undefeated in two starts around two turns, having broken her maiden impressively last fall by 3 ½ lengths at 1 1/16 miles at Churchill Downs – the site of the Kentucky Oaks in May. Saturday’s win earned Red Ruby another step on the path to this year’s Oaks, as she will likely make her next start in the $200,000 Honeybee S. (G3) at Oaklawn on March 10th.
“I gallop her myself in the morning. She’s special,” said Gorder after the race. He was then asked if she was a Kentucky Oaks filly. “We hope so,” he added.
Bred in Kentucky by Hargus & Sandra Sexton and Silver Fern Farm, Red Ruby is out of the Graded stakes-producing Rubiano mare Caroni. The breeder earned $10,000 through WinStar’s WIN program for Saturday’s win, and the filly moved her career earnings to $123,000 for her owners Sandra Sexton and Brandi Nicholson.
