June, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Por Que No Sets Pace, Sails To Easy Win In Boiling Spring Stakes At Monmouth

As the lone speed in a short field, trainer Kent Sweezey and jockey Ferrin Peterson weren't about to overthink the strategy with Por Que No in Saturday's $75,000 Boiling Spring Stakes at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J.

Get to the front, slow down the fractions and leave plenty in reserve. Good in theory but even better in practice, as it turned out.

Por Que No led every step out of the gate and then cruised to a 4½-length victory, posting her fifth win in her past six starts and first in stakes company.

Seasons, the 7-10 favorite in the field of six 3-year-old fillies, faded to third after chasing the slow fractions set by Peterson and Por Que No throughout the mile and a sixteenth turf feature.

“I knew there were some really good horses in this race and my thinking was I need to make them catch me. I'm the speed in the race,” said Peterson, who notched her first stakes win of the meet. “So if I can get the lead, save ground and let her relax – which she did; in the backstretch, she was in her own element – and then take a deep breath and don't stress I thought she would be able to do what she did.

“At the three-eighths pole, I saw out of my peripheral vision another horse coming, so I thought `okay, I've got to make them catch us, I've got to break their confidence.' I shook her up a little and she had another gear. At the top of the lane, she just took off.”

The winning time over a turf course rated firm despite rain showers prior to the race was 1:42.43.

Por Que No, a daughter of Wicked Strong owned by Fano Racing, returned $9.60 to win.

Peterson basically won the race in the opening half, with a first quarter in :25.82 and the half-mile in :49.60. Seasons and jockey Paco Lopez chased most of the way around before fading late. Shantisara, making her U.S. debut for trainer Chad Brown, finished second, three lengths ahead of a tiring Seasons.

“I know she can fight her jockey sometimes, so I was trying to slow her down as much as I could without taking energy away from her,” Peterson said.

Lopez said the moisture in the turf from the rain did not appear to affect Seasons.

“She got frustrated chasing those slow fractions,” he said.

For Sweezey, it marked his first stakes win at Monmouth Park since capturing the Good Magic Stakes with Phat Man in 2019.

“Ferrin was aware we were the lone speed and what the game plan needed to be,” said Sweezey. “I didn't think Paco Lopez would be that close, especially with the slow fractions. We wanted to make (Seasons) catch us. I knew my filly was doing good. I knew she'd be fine on the lead and would last.

“I wasn't worried with the rain before the race. I thought it would make everyone else a little more timid. It wasn't going to affect what we wanted to do. I knew she would be good today and she was.”

Por Que No had raced exclusively at Gulfstream in her first six career starts before Sweezey shipped her north for this race.

He said the ownership group, which owns a house in nearby Monmouth Beach, “wanted to see her run at their home track.”

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Lestruska Has No Trouble With Antoinette, Envoutante In Fleur De Lis Stakes

Three weeks ago, Letruska was at Belmont Park in Elmont, Ny., dominant in her two and three-quarter length victory in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps Stakes. Saturday, she put in another sensational performance in the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis Stakes at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., taking the lead at the break, setting the pace, and showing why she is the current leader in her division.

At the start, Letruska veered slightly to the right, straightened out, and quickly took a two-length lead over Antoinette, with Shawnee Stakes winner Envoutante and Brad Cox-trained Vault behind them. She controlled the pace throughout the race, despite Florent Geroux keeping Antoinette just behind a length off of Letruska, first on the rail and then moving his filly to the outside of the leader as they approached the final turn. Jose Ortiz and Letruska, though, had nothing to fear from this field of five others. Into the stretch, as the field put in their final runs, the 5-year-old started to pull away more, increasing her advantage to six lengths as she changed leads about a furlong from the finish line. Behind her, Envoutante moved ahead of Antoinette for a beat, but Geroux was able to rally the Godolphin-owned filly back into second. Under the wire, Letruska was five and three-quarters lengths in front, with Antoinette, Envoutante, Point of Honor, Spice Is Nice, and Vault finishing out the field.

After outdueling Monomoy Girl in April's Apple Blossom Stakes at Oaklawn Park and then putting on a show in the Ogden Phipps, Letruska quickly established herself as the best older filly or mare in the country, with her trainer Fausto Gutierrez setting their sights on the Breeders' Cup Distaff to cap off what so far has been a stellar 2021. This win in the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis might be a short turnaround for the daughter of Super Saver, but she had no trouble with the nine furlongs, putting on a show for the closing day crowd at Churchill Downs. The victory is also Letruska's second Win and You're In race, her spot in the Breeders' Cup Distaff starting gate at Del Mar on Nov. 6 guaranteed.

Letruska paid $3.40, $2.80, and $2.10. Antoinette paid $10.60 and $4.40. Envoutante paid $2.40 to show.

The time for the mile and an eighth on a fast Churchill Downs was 1:48.57. This win in the G2 Fleur de Lis is Letruska's fourth win in five starts in 2021. Bred and owned by St. George Stables, the 5-year-old Letruska is by 2010 Grade 1 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver out of Magic Appeal (Successful Appeal). She has 15 wins in 20 lifetime starts, with total career earnings of $1,305,450.

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Letruksa Runs ‘Em Off Their Feet in Fleur de Lis

Entering this test on the back of a pair of Grade I wins, Letruska (Super Saver) was installed as the overwhelming favorite at 4-5 and more than justified those odds, running an overmatched field off their feet in Churchill's GII Fleur de Lis S. This event was a “Win and You're In” for the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff in November at Del Mar.

Veering right a bit exiting her outside post, Letruska went straight to the front under Jose Ortiz and clocked opening splits of :24.533 and :48.19 with Antoinette (Hard Spun) prompting from second. Still under a hand ride from Ortiz turning for home, the bay opened up with ease in the lane to win for fun. Antoinette held second and Envoutante (Uncle Mo) completed the trifecta.

“She's a spectacular horse,” said trainer Fausto Gutierrez. “I don't really like to say what's next but she was great today. We know she's a really nice dirt horse and is supposed to win at different racetracks and different conditions for a possible Horse of the Year campaign.”

“There was a little question mark coming into this race off three weeks rest but I knew Fausto is a great trainer and he'd have her ready,” Ortiz said. “She is a really nice mare and she was ready today. She got to the front pretty easy and she was comfortable the entire way around there.”

Undefeated in her native Mexico, Letruska captured her U.S. debut in the Copa Invitacional Del Caribe S. in December of 2019. Her first American graded victory came in Saratoga's GIII Shuvee S. last August, but faded to fourth after setting the pace next out in Belmont's GII Beldame Invitational S. in October. Romping in Gulfstream's GIII Rampart S. Dec. 12, the bay captured the GIII Houston Ladies Classic Jan. 31 and missed by a head to MGISW Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil) in Oaklawn's GII Azeri S. Mar. 13. She faced even stiffer competition next out in the GI Apple Blossom H. Apr. 17 in champions Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) and Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil). Letruska showed she was more than up for the challenge, denying two-time Eclipse winner Monomoy Girl by a nose with Swiss Skydiver in third. The 5-year-old followed suit with a decisive wire-to-wire score in Belmont's GI Ogden Phipps S. June 5 stamping herself as the clear divisional leader.

Pedigree Notes:

Letruska is one of five Grade I winners, 13 graded scorers and 29 black-type victors by Super Saver. Her GSP dam Magic Appeal is a full-sister to Grade I winner J P's Gusto. The 14-year-old mare's recent produce includes a juvenile colt named Ocotzingo (Hard Spun); a yearling colt by the late Arrogate; and a filly by the recently deceased Malibu Moon, born May 5. This is also the family of Eclipse winner Proud Spell (Proud Citizen) and Canadian champion Miss Mischief (Into Mischief).

Saturday, Churchill Downs
FLEUR DE LIS S.-GII, $300,000, Churchill Downs, 6-26, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/8m, 1:48.57, ft.
1–LETRUSKA, 124, m, 5, by Super Saver
1st Dam: Magic Appeal (GSP), by Successful Appeal
2nd Dam: Call Her Magic, by Caller I. D.
3rd Dam: Malibu Magic, by Encino
O/B-St. George Stable LLC (KY); T-Fausto Gutierrez; J-Jose L.
Ortiz. $184,140. Lifetime Record: 20-15-1-1, $1,616,459.
*1/2 to Trigger Warning (Candy Ride (ARG)), MSW & GISP,
$555,378. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Werk Nick Rating: A.
2–Antoinette, 119, f, 4, Hard Spun–Shuruq, by Elusive Quality.
O/B-Godolphin, LLC (KY); T-William I. Mott. $59,400.
3–Envoutante, 119, f, 4, Uncle Mo–Enchante, by Bluegrass Cat.
($250,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP). O-Walking L Thoroughbreds, LLC
and Three Chimneys Farm; B-Jumping Jack Racing LLC (KY);
T-Kenneth G. McPeek. $29,700.
Margins: 5 3/4, 3/4, 2HF. Odds: 0.70, 22.30, 2.30.
Also Ran: Point of Honor, Spice Is Nice, Vault. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Santa Barbara to the Test in Pretty Polly

There have been valid excuses for her missing the target so far in 2021, but Sunday's G1 Alwasmiyah Pretty Polly S. at The Curragh offers the ideal opportunity for 'TDN Rising Star' Santa Barbara (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) to deliver on her promise. Lacking vital experience when fourth in the G1 1000 Guineas at Newmarket May 2 she was probably undone by a combination of a 12-furlong trip and testing ground when fifth in the June 4 G1 Epsom Oaks. “She clearly ran a hugely promising race for a horse coming off the back of just a maiden win when fourth in the Guineas and that was always going to be a big ask for her over a mile on fast ground in a Classic first time up,” Ryan Moore commented. “It looks like the trip proved beyond her in bad conditions when fifth in the Oaks last time, so this 10-furlong trip could prove her optimum. Hopefully she can take a step forward here, but she is up against some horses of a similar ability and in some cases higher-rated opposition so this is another tough Group 1 assignment for her.”

Santa Barbara takes on a different challenge here, meeting the older fillies and mares headed by the Australia (GB) duo, Cayenne Pepper (Ire) and Epona Plays (Ire). Cayenne Pepper is back over the course and distance of her four-length success in the G2 Blandford S. in September, where the re-opposing Thundering Nights (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) was in third. She was fourth on her return in the 10 1/2-furlong G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup on contrasting ground here May 23 and trainer Jessie Harrington believes the more lively conditions will bring out the best in her. “We think she's come forward from the Tattersalls Gold Cup and that she will appreciate the good ground, as she doesn't like it soft,” she said.

Improving at a rate of knots, Epona Plays is one of the country's leading milers following her wins in the G3 Park Express S. at Naas Mar. 28 and G2 Lanwades Stud S. at this venue May 22. She has been over this trip before and won the G3 Denny Cordell Lavarack & Lanwades Stud Fillies S. over an extended nine furlongs at Gowran Park in September, so she warrants maximum respect while Shale (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) needs to bounce back after a lean spell. She had another Jessie Harrington representative Oodnadatta (Ire) (Australia {GB}) back in third when winning the G1 Moyglare Stud S. over seven furlongs here in September and the ground was against her when 10th in last Friday's G1 Coronation S. at Royal Ascot.

Joseph O'Brien believes that Thundering Nights can build on her narrow second in the June 4 GII New York S. and said, “Thundering Nights has been a brilliant filly for us and was unlucky not to win earlier this month. She was interfered with on the first bend and got a bit further back than ideal. She finished off like a train in the closing stages, but came up a nose short. It was a fantastic run and she has come back from it in great shape. The big aim of bringing her back into training this year was for her to be competitive in Group 1 company and her form entitles her to be in the mix in this race. Conditions will suit and hopefully she'll run a big race.”

In the six-furlong G2 Airlie Stud S., last Wednesday's G2 Queen Mary S. third Cheerupsleepyjean (Fr) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) backs up quickly having caught the eye when making up ground in that five-furlong contest where the front-runners looked to have an advantage. Aidan O'Brien puts 'TDN Rising Star' Yet (War Front) into the mix after she was 17th in that race, while Joseph O'Brien saddles the May 28 Fairyhouse auction series maiden winner Velocidad (GB) (Gleneagles {Ire}).

Stayers get their chance in the G2 Comer Group International Curragh Cup, where Ballydoyle's Passion (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) makes her seasonal bow having signed off in 2020 with a career-best third in the G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares S. at Ascot in October. Last year's G3 Stanerra S. winner and G1 Irish Oaks third is joined by stablemate Amhran Na Bhfiann (Ire) (Galileo {GB}), last year's G1 Epsom Derby third who was 11th after setting the pace in the G1 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot last Thursday. In Germany, the G3 Wettstar.de Dortmund Grand Prix sees Stall TMB's May 24 G2 Mehl-Mulhens-Rennen winner Mythico (Fr) (Adlerflug {Ger}) take on the older horses.

Click here for the group fields.

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