Turf Star surges in time to take the James W. Murphy, TMJC Photo
Preakness 151 Press Release
LAUREL, MD – Calumet Farm’s Grade 2-placed homebred Turf Star closed stoutly through the stretch under a perfectly timed ride by Jorge Ruiz to catch My Favorite Bird approaching the wire and get up by a half-length in Saturday’s $100,000 James W. Murphy presented by Prevagen at Laurel Park.
The 61st running of the one-mile Murphy for 3-year-olds and up on the grass was the fifth of nine stakes, four graded, worth $3.15 million in purses on a blockbuster 14-race program, headlined by the 151st Preakness Stakes (G1), Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown.
Turf Star ($10.40) covered a firm All Along turf course in 1:35.82 to give trainer Graham Motion his fifth career win in the Murphy. Previous victories came with Two Smart (1997), Blaze and Blues (2000), English Bee (2019) and Nagirroc, who ran a Pimlico Race Course-record 1:33.11 in 2023.
Thebabeslayer, returning to turf after three straight starts on dirt, was away well and in front through splits of 23.76 and 48.37 seconds under outside pressure from Attfield with 2-1 favorite Proton and My Favorite Bird battling in behind for third. The top group remained unchanged into the far turn until Thebabeslayer forged a short lead straightening for home under pursuit from Turf Star, who finished with aplomb to register his second career win.
My Favorite Bird was three lengths ahead of third-place finisher Attfield, who edged Proton by a head followed by Thebabeslayer, Jessica’s Eyes and J Cody. Zihnal was scratched.
Turf Star debuted last summer at Saratoga and won second time out in a one-mile maiden special weight at Kentucky Downs, finishing his 2-year-old season running second in the Bourbon (G2) and sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1). He was off the board in a pair of two-turn stakes to start this year, the Kitten’s Joy on the grass at Gulfstream Park and Jeff Ruby (G3) on Turfway Park’s all-weather surface.
The James W. Murphy pays homage to the late trainer that won nearly 1,400 races and more than 50 stakes and $24 million in purses starting in 1965. He was named the MTHA’s Trainer of the Year in 2006, three years before he died at age 82.
$100,000 James W. Murphy Quotes
Winning Trainer Graham Motion (Turf Star): ‘We had to regroup with him a little bit. I’m just so proud of Jorgie [Ruiz]. He made the decision we need to take him back and give him a chance, and that’s what he did. He rode him beautifully.
“He didn’t run poorly in the Breeders’ Cup, but then in his first two races back this year we really got off track. He’s a very cool horse. He’s just the kindest horse. We really rushed him in his last two races, and I don’t think that’s what he wanted to do. This was huge. Just really proud of Jorgie.
Winning Jockey Jorge Ruiz (Turf Star): “I was really happy to get the chance to ride him today, very happy for the owner, the whole team, and very happy for me getting the opportunity. It unfolded like I thought it would. It looks like he needs horses to go out in front of him. When I asked for run at the quarter pole, he responded very well. My first ride on the horse and I’ll be watching his races from here on.”
