Ruff, congrats on your win at Tampa Bay Downs.
If I were making the choice, I would lean very heavily toward Oaklawn Park and add only the horribly named Jeff Ruby Steaks (previously called the Spiral, previously called the Gallery Furniture.com, previously called the Lanes End, previously called the Jim Beam, previously called the Jim Beam Spiral, originally called the Spiral, and I've probably left out a couple of others) from Turfway Park.
I've always felt that the quality of racing at Oaklawn is vastly superior to that at Turfway; I'm sure that more Derby contenders will emerge from the Rebel than from the Jeff Ruby with horsemen preferring running a prep on the dirt rather than on the synthetic surface of Turfway. In addition, both the Azeri and the Essex at Oaklawn are quality races.
The Rushaway is a two turn stakes race for 3 year old colts, but with a purse of only $75K I don't think it is really a prep for anything other than the Lexington.
That's my 2 cents' worth. Spend it well.
|