Patrick O’Neill, nephew to two-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Doug O’Neill and bloodstock agent Dennis O’Neill, had a different interest from most college kids when he was an undergraduate student and a member of Brown University’s football team. He insisted on adding TVG to the fraternity house’s cable television package; he was the one who watched horse racing at every opportunity, including in class, and in film study prior to practice.
Month: November 2021
‘She Knows What She Needs To Do’: Unplanned Workmate Doesn’t Shake Gutierrez’ Confidence In Distaff Favorite Letruska
Much has been made of morning-line favorite Letruska's final workout before the Breeders' Cup Distaff, in which the 5-year-old daughter of Super Saver picked up some unplanned company.
Though she usually breezes on her own, a timing snaffu saw Letruska hook up with the lightly-raced Richard Baltas-trained 2-year-old Brandon'smylawyer in her Oct. 30 workout at Del Mar. Workmates can cause horses to work faster than their connections might otherwise want, but instead that younger filly went on by her rival, out-finishing Letruska down the stretch.
Letruska's response to the challenger leaves handicappers to puzzle out the significance just a week ahead of her biggest test of the season.
“It wasn't really what you want to see,” offered Letruska's trainer, 54-year-old Breeders' Cup first-timer Fausto Gutierrez. “When you wake up in the morning, this isn't something you think might happen. But she came back in good form, breathing normally. That's what is most important.
“You know, she's traveled 17 times this year. She knows when the race is getting close, and what she needs to do.”
Exercise rider Roger Horgan agreed that while the workmate was unplanned, the mare handled it with her usual aplomb.
“I was not planning on company; it was not ideal,” Horgan said. “She did relax. I was a bit concerned, but she switched off and let her do it on her own. I was very proud of her the way she relaxed.”
Letruska was officially credited with a time of 1:01.20 for five furlongs, while Brandon'smylawyer was clocked over four furlongs in :47.20.
Letruska puts in her final work moments ago in preparation for the Longines @BreedersCup Distaff @DelMarRacing.
Coming up next on @TVG, we'll hear thoughts from Trainer Fausto Gutierrez! Watch Breakfast at the Breeders' Cup: https://t.co/JnDfgd2kLJ pic.twitter.com/c26ihwGBeH
— TVG (@TVG) October 30, 2021
Another somewhat unusual training activity saw Gutierrez send Letruska to the track with just a pony – no rider on her back – on Monday morning. For the 10-time leading trainer in Mexico, ponying his horses on their own every so often is a normal part of the routine.
“When the horse doesn't feel the jockey, they can relax their body more,” the trainer explained, adding that the mare resumed galloping under a rider on Tuesday morning.
It's tough to argue with the results: Letruska has put together an impressive campaign this season, winning six of her seven starts, including the Grade 1 Apple Blossom, G1 Ogden Phipps, and G1 Personal Ensign.
“The only point now is that she arrives concentrated and happy,” Gutierrez concluded. “We don't have anything else to do.”
Should Letruska prevail in the Distaff, a race against males could be on her calendar. Gutierrez plans to race the mare again in 2022, and the Pegasus World Cup in January is on the radar.
No matter what happens on Saturday, Gutierrez is enjoying the journey. He's come a long way from his origins in Mexico, where he got into horse racing as a turfwriter and built up his training operation to the leading one in the country. Letruska's career also began in Mexico: Gutierrez conditioned her to a 3-year-old championship there in 2019. The filly won the first six starts of her career, and then traveled to Gulfstream Park to win the 2019 Copa Invitacional del Caribe.
That success helped encourage Gutierrez to make the move to training in the United States; he now keeps a string year-round in South Florida.
“This is a real dream, because nobody can think this could happen,” he said. “When I had this horse in Mexico City I understood she's a special horse, a horse who could run fast. But to be here, it's like another planet.
“I try to do the best work. I don't have a lot of horses with this quality. I just have one. Sometimes I feel like Rambo – I have to go with all the other ones, horses who have seven or eight horses [like this.]”
“This is a horse to change the life of any person. She's a superstar and she proves it every second, every race.” – Fausto Gutierrez on Letruska 💗 #BC21 pic.twitter.com/eNRIBD50zt
— Breeders' Cup (@BreedersCup) October 30, 2021
The post ‘She Knows What She Needs To Do’: Unplanned Workmate Doesn’t Shake Gutierrez’ Confidence In Distaff Favorite Letruska appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Livingmybestlife Leads All The Way In Opening Day Seashell At Del Mar
Hronis Racing's Livingmybestlife took the lead right out the gate and simply wouldn't be caught Wednesday afternoon at Del Mar in the featured $103,750 Seashell Stakes as the seaside track opened its eight Bing Crosby Season with an eight-race card.
The winner, a 3-year-old daughter of The Big Beast trained by John Sadler, ran the mile on the main track in 1:36.53 under Juan Hernandez and picked up a winner's check for $62,250, pushing her bankroll to $209,970 after she reported home a length and a half the best. It was the fourth victory in seven career starts for the Florida-bred who was claimed for $50,000 by her current connections out of her first start at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas last April.
Finishing second was the 1/2 race favorite Moonlight d'Oro, owned by MyRacehorse or Spendthrift Farm, while Michael Rosemayer's Clockstrikestwelve ran third.
The opening card was the first of 13 that will be held over the course of the Del Mar session that goes forward to Sunday, November 28. Adding special spice to this edition of the “Crosby” is the 38th running of the Breeders' Cup Championships, which will be conducted here this Friday and Saturday with $31 million of purses and awards on the line.
Racing continues Thursday with another eight-race card with first post at 12:30 p.m.
JUAN HERNANDEZ (Livingmybestlife, winner) – “Yes, that was the plan – go to the front and see how far we could go. She likes to run that way. We had a Plan B in case someone did something crazy, but our first plan worked out fine. We weren't going that fast and she was comfortable. When we turned for home, she changed leads on her own and from there I was on a winner.”
JUAN LEYVA, assistant to John Sadler (Livingmybestlife, winner) “She got to break out front and do what she likes to do, which is cruise on the lead. She was comfortable the whole time and ran a great race. She's been nothing but good since we claimed her. At the three-eighths when I saw the favorite (Moonlight d'Oro) wasn't really pressing her and she was pulling away, I felt really good.”
FRACTIONS: :23.16 :46.38 1:10.78 1:23.63 1:36.53
The stakes win was the first of the meet and the first in the initial running of the Seashell. Jockey Hernandez now has 12 stakes wins at Del Mar.
The stakes win was the first of the meet and the first in the initial running of the Seashell. Trainer Sadler now has 81 stakes wins at Del Mar, second most of all time.
The winning owners are Kosta and Pete Hronis of Delano, CA.
The post Livingmybestlife Leads All The Way In Opening Day Seashell At Del Mar appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Wesley Ward Joins Writers’ Room Breeders’ Cup Preview Show
The TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland produced its third annual comprehensive Breeders' Cup preview show Wednesday, analyzing and handicapping all 14 World Championships races in depth, and welcomed trainer Wesley Ward later as the Green Group Guest of the Week to discuss his five combined Breeders' Cup starters in the GI Turf Sprint and GII Juvenile Turf Sprint and future goals for his barn.
Asked whether he's happy with the niche he's carved out for himself as mainly an elite 2-year-old and turf sprint trainer or if he has bigger goals to win Classic races, Ward said with a laugh, “I'm glad I'm good at something. I'm fortunate that I have a good number of owners who are backing me with these types of horses. But obviously, I'd like to get into different categories and Classic distances. I had my first [Kentucky] Derby starter this year [Like the King]; ultimately he was a grass horse, but it sure was a lot of fun getting over there and I would like to get back with a really good chance.”
Elsewhere on the Breeders' Cup preview extravaganza, which is also sponsored by Coolmore, XBTV, West Point Thoroughbreds, Lane's End, the New York Thoroughbred Breeding and Development Fund and Legacy Bloodstock, Joe Bianca, Bill Finley and Jon Green gave out longshots to watch this weekend, explained which favorites they think are vulnerable and broke down all the pace scenarios in a potential Breeders' Cup Classic for the ages. Click here to watch the podcast; click here for the audio-only version or find it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
The post Wesley Ward Joins Writers’ Room Breeders’ Cup Preview Show appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
