Somelikeithotbrown

After an unplaced finish in his career debut in an off-the-turf race on a loppy main track at Saratoga in July, Somelikeithotbrown drew clear to an eight-length runaway in August at the Spa in a 1 1/8-mile turf race. He followed with a second-place finish to Opry in the Grade 3 With Anticipation Stakes before running second again in the Grade 3 Pilgrim Stakes on Sept. 29 at Belmont Park. Somelikeithotbrown then headed west to Churchill Downs, where he raced in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf and finished a close third after leading much of the race.

Somelikeithotbrown returned for his 3-year-old campaign in the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes on Feb. 17, held at Turfway Park on the synthetic Polytrack surface. He won convincingly by 3 1/2 lengths. The Battaglia Memorial is Turfway's prep for the Jeff Ruby Steaks, a Kentucky Derby points race held at the Northern Kentucky track. In the Jeff Ruby Steaks, Somelikeithotbrown pressed the early pace and seized command through a half-mile in 47.03 seconds. He edged clear in the stretch under Tyler Gaffalione and pulled away to win by 3 1/4 lengths as the 3-5 favorite and earn 20 qualifying points for the 2019 Kentuckky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve. He subsequently finished fourth in the Grade 2, $1 million Toyota Blue Grass Stakes.