Kentucky Derby Horse Profile: Fulleffort

Mar 25, 2026 John Mucciolo/TwinSpires.com

Fulleffort wins the Jeff Ruby Stakes at Turfway Park. (Photo by Coady Media)

St. Elias Stable and Starlight Racing’s Fulleffort moved to the lead in the early stretch and powered clear late in posting a decisive, 2 ½-length win in the $777,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) at Turfway Park on March 21. Trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr., the three-year-old horse ran 1 1/8 miles on the Tapeta synthetic surface in 1:49.94 in his victory. The horse also earned 100 points on the 2026 Road to the Kentucky Derby challenge series to punch his ticket to Louisville on the first Saturday in May.

“He has a strong closing kick,” Ortiz said. “I knew he'd come with his best run, and he handled stretching out in distance really well. I think he's continuing to improve.”

“He's a hard-knocking horse that continues to improve,” said Trace Messina, assistant to winning trainer Brad Cox. “He does everything we ask of him and trained really well into this race. We'll talk it over with Brad and the team to decide next steps, but we're very happy for everyone involved to get the job done today.”

The next four across the wire were Stark Contrast, Medici, Stop the Car, and Argos, and they picked up qualifying points towards the Derby on a 50-25-15-10 basis.

He gets some added distance and FULLEFFORT put it all together in the G3 Jeff Ruby Steaks at @turfwaypark, earning 100 Kentucky Derby points! 🏆🌹@iradortiz piloted the 3YO colt for the @bradcoxracing barn!

🎥 #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/qECGcrcRD4

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) March 21, 2026

Fulleffort has a lifetime mark that now reads 7-3-2-1, $694,115. The gray son of Liam’s Map graduated in his third career run on the Kentucky Downs turf on Sept. 10 and won his two-year-old finale by an impressive five lengths on the Keeneland grass on Oct. 23. The horse raced twice prior to the Jeff Ruby in 2026, recording second-place results in both the Leonatus S. and John Battaglia Memorial S. at Turfway Park.

The winner was bred in the Bluegrass State by Athens Woods, LLC, and fetched a closing bid of $425,000 as a yearling at Saratoga in 2024. He was produced from the three-time stakes-winning Awesome Again mare named Callmethesqueeze, and two of his siblings have won stakes races, including his half-sister Power Squeeze, who was victorious in the 2024 Alabama (G1) at Saratoga.

Fulleffort has earned Brisnet Speed ratings of 83-92-99 this campaign. He is an improving horse with a strong closing kick in the stretch, and the three-year-old is expected to run in the Kentucky Derby in his next showing.

100 @KentuckyDerby points punched! @iradortiz walks through a packed @TurfwayPark with @James_Scully111 after guiding 𝗙𝗨𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗙𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗧 to a HUGE Jeff Ruby Steaks S. win for trainer @bradcoxracing. pic.twitter.com/lmqQb9p1jE

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) March 21, 2026