Turfway Park Racetrack Picks for Saturday, 3/22/25

The featured race of the Turfway Park racing meet, the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3), happens on Saturday, March 22. It’s a 1 ⅛-mile run on the Tapeta that awards 100-50-25-25-10 Kentucky Derby points, meaning the top two finishers in the race are virtually assured a spot in the Kentucky Derby, and the next few may go to the Run for the Roses as well, if they have run well in other preps. The card also features the Bourbonette Oaks, a 50-point Kentucky Oaks prep whose winner likely punches their ticket to Churchill Downs’ filly feature.

In addition to this pair of three-year-old points races, the Saturday card at Turfway Park features four other stakes races, including the Kentucky Cup Classic (G3), a 1 ⅛-mile race for older route horses. Rounding out the stakes on the card are the Latonia for older filly and mare route horses, the Rushaway for three-year-old routers not quite being pointed to the Kentucky Derby trail, and the Animal Kingdom for sophomore sprinters.

With big fields and class horses all day, make sure to catch Turfway’s flagship card Saturday on FanDuel TV, and place your bets online all day long at FanDuel. Don’t forget to check the scratches on race day before placing your final wagers; though Saturday is supposed to be a sunny day in Florence, Kentucky, scratches can happen for any reason and affect the pace scenario.

Turfway Park Picks

Race 10: Kentucky Cup Classic (G3), 1 ⅛ miles on Tapeta - Encino, Lord Bullingdon

FanDuel odds: 4-1 and 15-1

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Encino (4-1) disappointed in the Gulfstream Park Mile (G2) last out, but that was one turn over a love-it-or-hate-it dirt track at Gulfstream. All his previous experience had come at two turns, and he returns to that configuration here. He also gets back on the Turfway Tapeta, where he made his first three starts last year. He has true early speed in a race where there isn’t much of it despite the large field size, meaning he could just steal this. But, he doesn’t have to be on the front end, which he proved when he won the Battaglia last year. He rounded into his best third off the lay, and if he does that again this time, he could prove hard to beat.

For a long shot, consider Lord Bullingdon (15-1). He is trained by Michael McCarthy, who tends to be very good with picking which horses to ship across the country, and good at picking which turf or dirt horses may like the Tapeta—and it also stands out that Umberto Rispoli sees fit to get on the plane and reunite with him. He will have to handle an outside post, but those aren’t terrible at Turfway, and he has the pace versatility to find a spot either in range of the pace or off it, and still run well. Expect something in range, given that there isn’t a ton of pace despite the overflow field.

Race 11: Bourbonette Oaks, 1 1/16 miles on Tapeta - As Catch Can, White Rocks

FanDuel odds: 6-1 and 3-1

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As Catch Can (6-1) was one of the better fillies on the Woodbine Tapeta last year, missing in the Mazarine by a neck and winning a first-level allowance after that. She freshened up for two months in the winter, but returned in the Sweet Life down the hill at Santa Anita, finishing second. She should benefit from the stretch out in trip and the return to the Tapeta, and Thomas tends to improve his runners second off the layoff. With tactical speed and a nice middle draw, signs point to a solid run.

Even though the Bourbonette Oaks drew an overflow field, it didn’t attract much in the way of serious early speed demons. That bodes well for White Rocks (3-1), winner of the Cincinnati Trophy last out. She shot to the front and ran clear in both that race and her second-out maiden win. Both races were over the Turfway Tapeta, so she is proven over the surface. The far-outside gate may be a little thorny, but it should at least get her a clean way to the early lead, and there is a good chance there won’t be a major scramble. And, if all else fails? The fact that she was well off the pace early and stayed interested to the end, even after some trouble in the lane, suggests that White Rocks isn’t just a one-way speed type with no other gear in her arsenal.

Race 12: Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3), 1 ⅛ miles on Tapeta - Poster, Flying Mohawk

FanDuel odds: 3-1 and 15-1

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Poster (3-1) met defeat for the first time last out in the Sam F. Davis, but winner Owen Almighty already came back to win the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) in style. This is Poster’s first try on the synthetic, but sire Munnings throws foals who can run on anything, and Poster himself has already won on both dirt and turf. He has already won at 1 ⅛ miles, his tactical speed suggests he can get a spot a little closer to the pace this time around, and trainer Eoin Harty has been shrewd with his shippers to Turfway.

Among the price horses in the field, Flying Mohawk (15-1) has upside at a big price. He needed four starts to break his maiden, but has won his last two starts over the lawn, a maiden race at Churchill last October, and an allowance at Fair Grounds in January. He can run well from close to the pace or well off of it, but no matter what should be able to stay off of a lively front end. It will be his first start on synthetic, but turf form often transfers nicely to Tapet,a and damsire Twirling Candy is an excellent synthetic influence. In short, this Whit Beckman trainee has a lot of upside at boxcar odds.

Read about all of the contenders at FanDuel Research.

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