By Eric DeCoster
The Jeff Ruby Steaks has proven a key battleground on the Road to the Kentucky Derby in recent years. Since receiving a significant purse increase in 2022, the race has produced the likes of upset Derby winner, Rich Strike, 2023 runner-up, Two Phil’s, and last year’s 4th place finisher, Final Gambit. This year’s representative from Turfway Park comes in the form of Fulleffort, whose victory in the Ruby earned him 100 points on the Road to the Derby and secured his spot in the starting gate. He brings the right connections to the Derby and has similarities to other Turfway alums who performed well in the big race, but also has to answer one big question – the surface.
Racing Record and Notable Performances
Fulleffort enters the 2026 Kentucky Derby as the second most experienced runner in the race, having made 7 career starts. However, he is also the least experienced horse in the race in the sense that he’s the only starter to have never run on dirt! He is built and bred like a route horse and Brad Cox has only ever run him in two turn races. He placed in his first two starts at Ellis Park last summer before breaking his maiden at the prestigious Kentucky Downs meet. Rather than take an immediate leap to stakes company, Brad Cox opted to run him in an allowance race at Keeneland that he won by a comfortable 5 lengths.
He has since made all three starts of his 3-year-old campaign on the Tapeta at Turfway Park. The first two ended in close 2nd place finishes, where he was closing very hard but had little pace to close into, clearly needing more ground and a better setup. Things finally came together last time out in the G3 Jeff Ruby Steaks, where he closed from 6 lengths out of it to win the 9 furlong test going away, scoring as the 9/5 favorite.
Pedigree and Connections
- Sire: Liam’s Map
- Dam & Damsire: Callmethesqueeze (by Awesome Again)
- Owner: St. Elias Stable & Starlight Racing
- Trainer: Brad Cox
- Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione
Fulleffort’s pedigree will be one of the most scrutinized in the 2026 Kentucky Derby since he has yet to run on dirt. There are some critics who say he looks ho-hum in his dirt works, and Brad Cox has even been quoted saying that as a 2-year-old he didn’t show much promise on the surface, but his pedigree suggests he is more than capable on the surface.
Liam’s Map has proven to be a very strong stallion over the years, throwing good horses on dirt and turf. They seem to thrive going longer distances and he has multiple Grade 1 winning progeny at or around the Derby distance. Fulleffort will represent his second Derby starter, having also sired last year’s 6th place finisher, Burnham Square. Fulleffort’s dam, Callmethesqueeze, has already shown her class as a producer. One of her foals, Power Squeeze, won the Grade 1 Alabama Stakes at Saratoga over the same distance of the Kentucky Derby. It makes sense how she has been able to throw progeny who thrive over longer races. She is by Awesome Again, who’s daughters have produced Classic distance stars like Accelerate, Keen Ice, and Highland Falls. All things considered, this horse’s pedigree gives every indication that he will get over the dirt well and will get the 1 ¼ mile distance better than most.
The history books will indicate that Brad Cox is a Kentucky Derby winner, but he isn’t likely to agree. He was awarded the race in 2021 with Mandaloun following the medication disqualification of Medina Spirit. Cox has been one of the top trainers in the country over the past decade, twice winning Eclipse Award Champion Trainer in 2020 and 2021. His Derby record has been consistent given he’s yet to actually taste the winners’ circle. He has sent out the favorite on two occasions – Essential Quality in 2021 and Angel of Empire in 2023 – and both finished 3rd. He has had the 4th place finishers the past two years, Catching Freedom and Final Gambit, who each won their final prep races leading into the Derby. Fulleffort is one of three starters for Cox in the 2026 Derby, Commandment and Further Ado being the others, and he is certain to be the longest shot of the three.
Tyler Gaffalione also has big time footnotes to his Kentucky Derby record. In 2019, he was aboard War of Will when the eventual Preakness winner was nearly brought down by an unruly Maximum Security on the far turn. In 2024, he was aboard Sierra Leone when that runner made a big move around the turn and loomed a big threat down the stretch, only to lean in on Forever Young the entire stretch run, losing by a nose and likely costing him the Roses. Gaffalione’s overall record at Churchill Downs undoubtedly tops any other rider in this race. He has won 14 riding titles under the Twin Spires since 2018!
Final Prep Analysis
- Final Prep Race: G3 Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park (March 21st)
- Finish Position: 1st out of 12
- Final Time: 1:49.4
- Beyer Speed Figure: 94
Despite coming off of a narrow loss leading into his final prep, Fulleffort went off favored in the Jeff Ruby Steaks. He broke from the 2 hole under Irad Ortiz Jr. and immediately settled near the back. He commenced a move just outside of the half-mile pole, clearly looking like the best horse throughout. He made his way into the stretch with the lead and extended it through the wire, a comfortable, no doubt victory. The 94 Beyer earned for the win was a career best by 8 points. Of course, it’s hard to gauge that number against the rest of this field given it came on Tapeta, but either way it showed progression for this colt leading into his biggest race to date. The only true knock on Fulleffort coming out of that race is the competition he faced. While none of them are slouches – in fact, Stark Contrast could be favored in the Grade 1 American Turf on the Derby undercard – they don’t stack up to the quality of dirt horses he’ll face in the Derby.
Strengths and Concerns
Strengths: The biggest plus on Fulleffort’s resume is the endless amounts of stamina he possesses. He has strong distance influences on both ends of his pedigree and is physically built like a classic type. You also have to be impressed with his gradual improvement this season. He has jumped forward with every single start on 2026 and it doesn’t feel like he’s reached his peak yet. The way he finished up in the Jeff Ruby Steaks tells me there is way more in the tank. Another big strength for Fulleffort is his connections, even if his rider nor trainer have officially won the Kentucky Derby. Tyler Gaffalione rides this racetrack better than anyone else in the country and Brad Cox is the hottest trainer around at the moment, coming off a huge meet at Keeneland.
Concerns: The obvious and glaring concern is that Fulleffort has never run on dirt. Animal Kingdom is the only horse to have taken the roses without a previous main track start. While his figures have been improving, they are still a touch off of the top flight horses in this year’s Derby, so another marked leap will be needed to compete on that front. Finally, he is likely to be pace dependent in this race. He will be one of the last horses by the wire in the first run past the stands, and as the Derby shapes up right now, it doesn’t seem like there will be a supersonic pace like we’ve seen in year’s past.
Expert Opinions and Odds
Fulleffort is likely to trend around 20-1 in the wagering on Derby day. He closed at 23-1 in the final pool of the Kentucky Derby future wager, sits at 25-1 in the majority of international markets, and is 20-1 on quite a few of the projected morning lines out there. He fits the bill of a live longshot that will take decent money because of his juicy price, but will mostly be used in the minor spots of players’ trifecta and superfecta tickets.
Conclusion
He might have to buck some trends in this year’s Kentucky Derby, but Fulleffort should be considered a player in this race. He brings no bad races to the table, is constantly improving, and has the right people to run a big race at Churchill Downs. The surface is the biggest question, but Brad Cox wouldn’t run him if he didn’t think he could take to it. Whether he’s good enough to actually win the race is hard to say. However, he deserves plenty of respect underneath if you’re playing any vertical wagers in the 2026 Kentucky Derby.
