Grade 3, $600,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks, 1 1/8 miles (Tapeta), Turfway Park, April 2, 2022 (100 Derby qualifying points for first, 40 for second, 20 for third, 10 for fourth) Winner: Tiz the Bomb, by Hit It a Bomb Trainer: Kenny McPeek Jockey: Brian Hernandez Jr. Owner: Magdalena Racing Lessee Beyer Speed Figure: 94 TIZ THE BOMB followed up his victory at Turfway in the Battaglia, the prep for the Jeff Ruby, with an even more emphatic victory here, earning a career-best Beyer Speed Figure and taking home a bounty of points through some home cooking. Although he earned his maiden win on dirt, subsequent races have shown him to be better on turf – he was second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf – and synthetic. His only dirt try since his maiden win was earlier this year in the Holy Bull, and he was dreadful. But he’s in the best form of his career, and there’s really no better option in the next five weeks, so why not give the Derby a roll? If he runs well, he wouldn’t be the first horse who looked like a synthetic/turf specialist to handle Churchill’s main track; his debut at Churchill was going five furlongs, hardly a fair measuring stick. McPeek has talked about going to Europe, but both the English and Irish 2000 Guineas are at a distance likely short of ideal for Tiz the Bomb. So try the Derby, and if it doesn’t work out, then go for longer-distance races overseas, like the Epsom Derby, or have a United States-based campaign that could include the rich series of grass stakes for 3-year-olds in New York. I’m of the opinion he’s far better on turf and synthetic, and will be surprised if he makes an impact against what appears to be a pretty solid Derby field. But I can’t blame his connections for taking a shot, knowing they have an appealing fallback position. In this race, Tiz the Bomb was in the second flight of horses, behind dueling leaders, three to four paths wide on the first turn. He remained outside and in the clear down the backstretch, then moved sharply three furlongs out to go up and challenge for the lead while still under confident handling by Hernandez. He took the lead coming off the bend, drifted out slightly in upper stretch, opened a commanding lead while drifting toward the rail, and was strong to the finish, the result never in doubt. Hernandez rode him like he was the best horse, and he was. TAWNY PORT, who finished second, raced between rivals while just inside Tiz the Bomb entering the first turn, and spent most of the turn in the three path. He was sent along entering the far turn and moved to challenge for the lead while between rivals, surged to the lead a quarter-mile out, could not keep pace with Tiz the Bomb entering the lane, but continued on well to the wire to easily secure the runner-up spot. He’s got two wins and a second in three races on synthetic. His lone dirt try was a fifth-place finish in the Risen Star, which wasn’t a bad effort at all in a prep that has proven productive. That said, he, like Tiz the Bomb, will have to significantly improve his dirt form to contend in the Derby. RICH STRIKE, who was third, had no early speed and was in front of just one horse while saving ground around the first turn. He saved ground for much of the race, got through inside in upper stretch, and ran on well while never threatening the top two. DOWAGIAC CHIEF, who was fourth, split horses in the opening quarter-mile while crossing over to take up the running into the first turn, with SWING SHIFT pressing him. He began to get away from Swing Shift nearing the far turn, was ridden along when Tawny Port and then Tiz the Bomb ranged up outside him, couldn’t stay with the top pair in upper stretch, and weakened. His turf form is pretty solid, so expectations would be for that to be his future. ROYAL SPIRIT, who was fifth, veered out to bump STOLEN BASE leaving the gate, saved ground while mid-pack and in traffic around the first turn, was in the two path for most of the far turn, was angled out coming off the bend and taken to the middle of the track, and made minor progress. Back to the turf. CABO SPIRIT, who was sixth, saved ground into the first turn while just behind dueling leaders, then moved out one path to be between rivals late on the turn. He stayed in that spot down the backstretch, moved to the rail heading into the far turn after clearing the tiring GREAT ESCAPE, was under an energetic ride midway on the turn but failed to sustain his progress, and finished evenly. He’s yet another in this field who has turf in his future. Stolen Base, who finished seventh, wore front leg wraps and blinkers for the first time. He was bumped at the start by Royal Spirit, raced mid-pack in the two path in traffic around the first turn, angled out to follow Tiz the Bomb around the far turn from the three path, made significant progress to get up to fourth a quarter-mile out, but flattened out thereafter. RED RUN, who was eighth, raced toward the back half of the field in the three path around the first turn, was asked to advance heading into the far turn while three to four paths wide and made mild progress, but was done before reaching the top of the lane. CONSTITUTIONLAWYER, who was ninth, was asked leaving the gate but had little response, went into the first turn four paths wide toward the rear of the field, remained three to four paths wide on the far turn and then drifted out badly prior to reaching the top of the lane in a dull effort. He had never raced on synthetic before. Safe to say he won’t again. Swing Shift, who was 10th, showed sharp speed from his wide draw to go up and press the pace, began to weaken before reaching the far turn, had no response to energetic encouragement and faded. Great Escape, who was 11th, pulled hard early but was eventually wrestled back to sit third, on the rail, behind dueling leaders, around the first turn. He stayed in that spot down the backstretch, but had no response when asked to keep pace three furlongs out and stopped badly, but that didn’t stop his rider from whipping him a couple of times with a furlong to go when he was hopelessly out of it. That’s the kind of unnecessary behavior an alert group of stewards would police. OPTIGOGO, officially last of 12, had no speed and trailed early, remained well back the entire way, and was pulled up on the far turn. The official chart reported he was vanned off the racetrack.