Curly Ruth Wins Thursday’s Featured Calumet Purse

Green Lantern Stables’ Curly Ruth took the lead at the top of the stretch and then held off a bid from favored Fluffy Socks by a three-quarters of a length to win Thursday’s $140,000 featured Calumet Purse for fillies and mares. (Click here for a video replay of the race.)

Trained by Eddie Kenneally and ridden by Luis Saez, Curly Ruth covered the mile and a sixteenth over a turf course rated as good in 1:44.27. 

Princess Causeway led the field to the top of the stretch, where she was collared and passed by Curly Ruth. Norma Jean B. and Fluffy Socks were in hot pursuit to the outside of Curly Ruth, who kicked clear and turned back all challengers. 

A Keeneland sales graduate, Curly Ruth is a 5-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Curlin out Ruthierenne, by Pulpit. Rutherienne, who earned $1.2 million, won Keeneland’s 2008 Jenny Wiley (G2). (Now a Grade 1 race, the Jenny Wiley will be run for the 34^th time this Saturday.) Today’s victory was worth $84,630 and improved Curly Ruth’s record to 16-5-4-0 with earnings of $328,927. 

Curly Ruth rewarded her backers with payoffs of $18.80, $5.80 and $4. Fluffy Socks, ridden by Joel Rosario, returned $3.20 and $2.60 with Pass the Plate finishing third under Brian Hernandez Jr. and paying $3.60 to show. 

Racing resumes Friday at 1 p.m. ET with a 10-race program that is highlighted by the $600,000 Maker’s Mark Mile (G1) and the $200,000 TVG Limestone (L). The TVG Limestone is the seventh race with a 4:12 post time. The Maker’s Mark Mile is the ninth race with a 5:16 post time.