Kentucky Derby Horse Profile: Final Gambit

Mar 26, 2025 John Mucciolo/TwinSpires.com

Final Gambit goes last to first in the Jeff Ruby Steaks (Photo by Coady Media)

Juddmonte Farms homebred Final Gambit picked up 100 qualifying points on the 2025 Road to the Kentucky Derby challenge series after posting an impressive 3 1/2-length triumph in the $776,364 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) at Turfway Park on March 22. Trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Luan Machado, the colt negotiated 1 1/8 miles over the Tapeta surface in 1:50.10 to earn his first stakes victory.

“I knew keeping (Final Gambit) in the clear around the turn would probably be best, but I was worried with how wide the horses on the front end were going,” Machado said. “Sometimes when he’s between horses, he doesn’t try as hard as when he’s in the clear. He really closed fast down the lane and was impressive late.”

Flying Mohawk, Maximum Promise, Poster, and Giocoso earned points on a 50-25-15-10 basis, respectively.

The son of Not This Time debuted at Churchill Downs on November 9 and put in a solid late run to finish third in a maiden special weight tilt on the turf. He reappeared on January 4 at Turfway and finished a close second in his synthetic bow. The gray preceded his stakes romp with a maiden win at the same venue on February 15, and his lifetime line now reads 4-2-1-1, $520,639.

Final Gambit was bred in Kentucky and is the initial black-type winner out of the winning Tapit mare Pachinko, who counts herself as a half-sister to Group 1 heroine Announce. He took a massive step forward in the Jeff Ruby when registering a 101 Brisnet Speed figure, which was 20 points higher than his previous best number. The long-striding sophomore has never run on the dirt and is from a family full of grassy performers, but he is getting good at the right time of the year and will also appreciate stretching out to 1 1/4 miles, as well. If the late-developing sort takes another step forward on the main oval in Louisville, then he could be a dangerous commodity from off the pace for expert connections.