Jeff Ruby second- and third-place finishers possible for American Turf

ARCADIA, Calif. – The California-based colts Stark Contrast and Medici, second and third in the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby on Saturday at Turfway Park, are candidates for the Grade 1 American Turf Stakes for 3-year-olds on May 2 at Churchill Downs.

The $1 million American Turf is run at 1 1/8 miles on turf, the surface on which Stark Contrast and Medici have thrived.

Stark Contrast, a two-time stakes winner who was second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar last October, was beaten 2 1/2 lengths by Fulleffort in the $777,000 Jeff Ruby Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on a synthetic track. Fulleffort was the 9-5 favorite, while Stark Contrast was 2-1.

The Jeff Ruby was Stark Contrast’s first start on a synthetic track and first start since a win in the Eddie Logan Stakes at a mile on turf on Jan. 8 at Santa Anita.

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“He came out of it in good order,” trainer Michael McCarthy said Sunday. “I think it was a good race considering he’d had 10 weeks between starts and ran on an unconventional surface.”

McCarthy trains Stark Contrast for owners and breeders John and Jerry Amerman.

Meanwhile, Medici set the pace in the Jeff Ruby before fading to lose by six lengths in his graded stakes debut. Owned by breeders Ramona and Perry Bass, Medici emerged from the race with a sore foot, trainer Richard Mandella said Sunday.

“He held his own,” Mandella said. “He didn’t quit. We took the shoe off this morning. It was worth a try.”

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