KEENELAND — October 24, 2026 — Ruthless Tactics demonstrated determination when it mattered most, holding off a relentless late challenge to capture the Grade II Station by the narrowest of margins. Representing owner and trainer TwinTowersRacing, the three-year-old bay colt took command at the second call under jockey R M Hernandez and maintained his advantage through a fiercely contested finish. Sent off at about 6-1, Ruthless Tactics completed the mile over firm turf in 1:32.51, securing a nose victory and the first graded stakes triumph of his career.

Race Recap

Saturday’s $400.000 Grade II Station brought together nine three-year-olds for a mile on Keeneland’s firm turf course, producing a contest in which early positioning and late acceleration proved equally important.

Ruthless Tactics entered the race following a narrow runner-up finish in an August allowance at Del Mar. Earlier in the season, he had captured a Churchill Downs allowance over nine furlongs and tested graded competition in the Grade I Belmont Derby. Although his previous efforts demonstrated versatility, the Station represented an important opportunity to establish himself at the graded stakes level.

Art Of Boom supplied the principal opposition, tracking the eventual winner throughout much of the contest before mounting a determined closing challenge. The Nakamura Stables representative had already demonstrated his quality with a victory in the Grade II Del Mar Derby, but his previous appearance in the City of Hope Mile had produced a disappointing eleventh-place finish. His performance at Keeneland marked a substantial return to form.

Bloody Mess, representing Ajm Stables, added another strong finish to an already consistent campaign. Having captured the Ponti at Saratoga in September, he entered with an unbeaten record of finishing among the first three in his previous five appearances. His late advance in the Station preserved that distinction.

Konnichiwa, meanwhile, produced one of the afternoon’s more unexpected performances. The D J C Racing Stables gelding had not raced since March, yet returned against accomplished graded stakes opposition and finished fourth after spending the early stages near the rear.

The contest ultimately belonged to Ruthless Tactics, although his advantage was reduced dramatically in the final stages. Art Of Boom came within a nose of overturning the result, while Bloody Mess finished another neck behind in third.

The Running — Flow & Calls

First Call — Eyes Forward Shows the Way

Eyes Forward established the early advantage, leading by a nose as the field completed the opening portion of the mile.

Ruthless Tactics was immediately prominent in second, just a nose behind, with Art Of Boom occupying third and remaining within a head of the leader.

Hide In Plain Sight followed in fourth, one length behind the leader, while Perfect Folly occupied fifth and Kuykendahl sixth, both approximately two lengths from the front.

Bloody Mess was seventh, four lengths behind, with Stormy Knight eighth and Konnichiwa ninth, also approximately four lengths back.

The opening order placed three runners in close contention for the lead. Eyes Forward held the narrow advantage, but Ruthless Tactics and Art Of Boom were positioned to challenge without having to make substantial advances through the field.

Second Call — Ruthless Tactics Takes Charge

The first significant change occurred at the second call when Ruthless Tactics moved from second into the lead, opening a three-quarter-length advantage.

Art Of Boom advanced from third to second, becoming the closest pursuer.

Eyes Forward, who had established the early pace, surrendered the lead and dropped to third, one length behind Ruthless Tactics.

Hide In Plain Sight maintained fourth, two lengths behind, while Perfect Folly remained fifth, three lengths back.

Kuykendahl continued sixth, four lengths behind, and Bloody Mess held seventh, five lengths from the leader.

Further back, Konnichiwa improved from ninth to eighth, six lengths behind, while Stormy Knight dropped from eighth to ninth, seven lengths back.

The developing pattern favored Ruthless Tactics, who had assumed control while keeping Art Of Boom as his nearest challenger. Eyes Forward remained competitive in third, but the early leader was no longer dictating the running.

Third Call — The Leading Pair Remain in Control

Ruthless Tactics continued to lead at the third call, increasing his advantage to one length.

Art Of Boom remained second, still within striking distance and maintaining the position he had secured at the previous call.

Eyes Forward continued third, two lengths behind, while Hide In Plain Sight remained fourth at the same deficit.

Perfect Folly maintained fifth, three lengths behind the leader, followed by Kuykendahl in sixth, four lengths back.

Bloody Mess continued seventh but reduced his deficit from five lengths to four, providing an early indication that he was beginning to close the gap.

Konnichiwa remained eighth, five lengths behind, also reducing his deficit from the second call.

Stormy Knight was ninth, eight lengths from the front.

Although the first six positions remained unchanged from the second call, the closing stages were beginning to take shape. Ruthless Tactics and Art Of Boom continued to control the front of the contest, while Bloody Mess and Konnichiwa had begun reducing the distance separating them from the leaders.

Final Call — A Finish Measured in Inches

Ruthless Tactics entered the final stages with the advantage, but Art Of Boom refused to concede.

Having tracked the winner from the second call onward, Art Of Boom steadily reduced the deficit and nearly completed the challenge. Ruthless Tactics nevertheless retained enough momentum to reach the finish first.

Behind the leading pair, Bloody Mess produced the most significant advance among the principal contenders, moving from seventh at the third call to third at the finish.

Konnichiwa also finished strongly, advancing from eighth to fourth in the final stages.

Hide In Plain Sight, fourth through the first three calls, slipped to fifth as the late-running horses improved their positions.

Kuykendahl maintained sixth throughout, while Eyes Forward faded from third to seventh after having established the early lead.

Perfect Folly dropped from fifth to eighth, and Stormy Knight remained ninth.

The closing stages transformed the finishing order behind the first two, with Bloody Mess and Konnichiwa accounting for the most substantial positional gains. At the front, however, Ruthless Tactics had done just enough to preserve his advantage over Art Of Boom.

Each Runner Mentioned

1st — Ruthless Tactics

Ruthless Tactics was prominent throughout, racing second at the first call before moving into the lead at the second. He extended his advantage to one length at the third call and held on determinedly as his nearest challenger closed the gap. His ability to maintain the lead under sustained pressure proved decisive in a nose victory.

2nd — Art Of Boom

Art Of Boom remained a constant threat from beginning to end. Third at the first call, he advanced to second at the next and maintained that position through the third call. He steadily reduced the leader’s advantage in the closing stages, coming within a nose of victory in a determined performance.

3rd — Bloody Mess

Bloody Mess delivered one of the strongest late advances in the field. Seventh at each of the first three calls, he reduced his deficit approaching the final stages before advancing four positions to finish third. His late progress brought him within a neck of the runner-up.

4th — Konnichiwa

Konnichiwa produced a particularly noteworthy effort after racing near the rear throughout the early stages. Ninth at the first call, he improved to eighth at the second and remained there at the third. He then advanced four positions in the closing stages to finish fourth, an impressive recovery considering his early placement.

5th — Hide In Plain Sight

Hide In Plain Sight maintained fourth at each of the first three calls, remaining within two lengths of the leader at the second and third. He was unable to improve his position in the closing stages and slipped to fifth as other runners advanced late.

6th — Kuykendahl

Kuykendahl maintained sixth at every call. Although he remained in the same position throughout the contest, he was unable to reduce the deficit sufficiently to challenge the leading group and finished sixth.

7th — Eyes Forward

Eyes Forward established the early lead by a nose at the first call but surrendered that advantage at the second, dropping to third. He maintained third at the next call before losing ground through the closing stages, eventually finishing seventh.

8th — Perfect Folly

Perfect Folly, the post-time favorite, occupied fifth at the first, second, and third calls. He remained three lengths behind the leader at the third call but was unable to improve his position. Instead, he dropped to eighth in the closing stages, a disappointing finish after remaining relatively close to the leaders earlier in the contest.

9th — Stormy Knight

Stormy Knight raced eighth at the first call before dropping to ninth at the second. He remained last at the third call, eight lengths behind the leader, and was unable to produce a meaningful late advance, finishing ninth.

Winning Connections & Pedigree

The Grade II Station represented a significant accomplishment for TwinTowersRacing, which both owns and trains Ruthless Tactics.

Jockey R M Hernandez kept the colt close to the early leader before moving into first at the second call. From there, Ruthless Tactics maintained his position despite Art Of Boom’s determined closing challenge.

Ruthless Tactics is a three-year-old bay colt by Ruthless Leader out of The Storm Is Here, bred in California by TwinTowersRacing, which remains his current owner and trainer. Following the Station victory, his lifetime record stands at 13 starts, three wins, four seconds, two thirds, and $361.090 in earnings.

His victory added a Grade II success to a career that had previously included an allowance win at Churchill Downs and several competitive efforts against established turf opposition.

Final Assessment

The Grade II Station delivered an exceptionally competitive finish and several performances that deserve recognition.

Ruthless Tactics earned his victory through early positioning, a decisive move into the lead, and the determination to withstand a persistent closing challenge. Art Of Boom demonstrated a sharp return to form, nearly adding another graded stakes victory to his accomplishments.

Bloody Mess reinforced his reputation for finishing strongly, while Konnichiwa exceeded expectations with a substantial late advance following an extended absence from competition.

The result also illustrated how quickly fortunes can change in a tightly contested turf mile. Eyes Forward controlled the opening stages but ultimately faded, while runners positioned near the rear made significant advances during the closing stages.

For TwinTowersRacing, the afternoon concluded with an important graded stakes victory. Ruthless Tactics had established his position early, assumed command when the opportunity presented itself, and refused to surrender it.

In a contest decided by a nose, that determination made all the difference.

Track: Firm
Time: :23¹  :46²  1:09²  1:32²

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 6 – 4 Paid 37.00
$1 Trifecta: 6 – 4 – 3 Paid 344.20

Scratched: None

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES