It was a business trip and Letruska took care of business – again – Saturday at Oaklawn, becoming just the fourth horse to capture multiple runnings of the Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) with a 1 ¼-length victory in the $1 million event for older fillies and mares.
Trainer Fausto Gutierrez said Letruska, the reigning champion older dirt female, emerged in good order from her Apple Blossom victory and the immediate plan is to target the $500,000 Ogden Phipps Stakes (G1) for older fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles June 11 at Belmont Park.
Letruska capped a roughly seven-week stay last year at Oaklawn when she edged two-time Eclipse Award winner Monomoy Girl to win the Apple Blossom by a nose. Letruska rode the momentum of that victory into divisional honors.
Letruska's 2022 Apple Blossom itinerary was straight to the point. She arrived Wednesday, jogged two laps the wrong way, schooled in the gate and paddock Thursday morning, polished off four rivals Saturday, including Eclipse Award winner and 2020 Apple Blossom victress Ce Ce and Grade 1 winners Clairiere and Maracuja, and departed Sunday morning for her base at Keeneland.
Before leaving, the speedy Letruska was assigned a preliminary Beyer Speed Figure of 103 for her front-running victory over a fast track. Favored at 4-5 under Jose Ortiz, Letruska ($3.80) ran 1 1/16 miles in a meet-best 1:42.22. The time was the fastest for an Apple Blossom winner since Havre De Grace (1:42.19) during her 2011 Horse of the Year campaign. Clairiere finished second, a half-length ahead of Ce Ce, with Maracuja 17 ½ lengths farther back in fourth.
“This was a race that had a very easy form to read,” Gutierrez said Sunday morning. “The complicated part was the quality of the horses. Okay, we are the speed and the other ones come from behind. Ce Ce nearer to us than Clairiere and both are very strong horses. Really, when we entered the stretch I had a sensation, like those two were coming very strong. Very, very dangerous, Ce Ce and then Clairiere. But again, she (Letruska) ran with the class that helped her win an Eclipse, all the races that she won. She ran a very nice race and the top three runners finished very near each other in a very good time. Faster than last year in comparison to other races.”
Letruska coasted to a front-running 2 ¾-length score in last year's Phipps, which was among her four Grade 1 victories in 2021. Gutierrez said the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) this fall at Keeneland is the year-end goal for Letruska, who finished a leg-weary 10th in the 2021 running at Del Mar.
Gutierrez reiterated Sunday morning that Letruska's post-Apple Blossom racing schedule in 2022 won't be as taxing as last year. Letruska's only other loss in a grueling eight-race cross-country 2021 campaign was a runner-up finish in the $350,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) at 1 1/16 miles, Oaklawn's final major prep for the Apple Blossom. Letruska opened her 2022 campaign with a front-running three-length victory in the $150,000 Royal Delta Stakes (G3) at 1 1/16 miles Feb. 26 at Gulfstream Park.
“It's complicated sometimes to speak about a plan, but the idea is to have less races than last year, especially less trips,” Gutierrez said. “You never know because you can have surprises, but the idea is to go to Belmont (Stakes) Day, to the Phipps.”
Saturday's victory, Letruska's 19th in 25 starts, pushed her career earnings to $2,948,529. Gutierrez trains the 6-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Super Saver for breeder/owner St. George Stable (German Larrea). Letruska began her career in Mexico and won her first six starts there, including four in 2019 when she was that country's champion 3-year-old filly.
Paseana (1992, 1993), Azeri (2002, 2003, 2004) and Zenyatta (2008 and 2010) are the only other multiple Apple Blossom winners. All are members of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.
“To win the Apple Blossom twice is great,” Gutierrez said.
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