Del Mar | Horse Racing Free Tips

Letruska Dominates in Keeneland’s Spinster

Popular star distaffer Letruska (Super Saver) took another step toward a potential Horse of the Year trophy Sunday at Keeneland, rolling to her fourth Grade I victory and sixth graded stakes win overall on the year as a heavy favorite in the GI Juddmonte Spinster S.

A dual Group 1 winner in Mexico for Fausto Gutierrez in 2019, Letruska stamped herself as a horse to watch with an impressive wire-to-wire score in last summer's GIII Shuvee S. at Saratoga and, after disappointing when finishing a well-beaten fourth in Belmont's GII Beldame S., added open-lengths graded stakes successes in the GIII Rampart S. and GIII Houston Ladies Classic S. over the winter. A narrow second in the GII Azeri S. at Oaklawn, the 5-year-old sent a seismic shock through the racing world when improbably re-rallying to stun dual champion Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) in the GI Apple Blossom H. Apr. 17 in Hot Springs. She then added a 2 3/4-length conquest of the GI Ogden Phipps S. and came back three weeks later for a 5 3/4-length romp in the GII Fleur de Lis S. before fighting off a host of challengers to annex the GI Personal Ensign S. last out Aug. 28 at Saratoga.

Away with all the money on to keep it rolling in this first career start at Keeneland, the bay broke as cleanly as Gutierrez could have asked for and established command in the first handful of strides under regular rider Irad Ortiz, Jr. Shaking loose from her nearest pursuers with ears pricked heading into the clubhouse turn, Letruska clicked off moderate fractions of :24 flat and :47.89 while moving easily in the clear. Crystal Ball (Malibu Moon) tried her best to take a run at the chalk as three-quarters went up in 1:12.52, but was always under more pressure than Letruska and dropped away by the top of the lane. Distant second choice Dunbar Road (Quality Road) began to make up marginal ground passing the eighth pole, but was never a realistic threat, and Letruska bounded past the wire a victress for the 17th time in her remarkable 22-race career.

“This is a horse to change the life of any person,” said Gutierrez. “She's a superstar and she proves [it] every second, every race. She shows her game, her ability at Churchill, at Oaklawn, at Saratoga. She's a racehorse.”

“She's doing so good right now,” added Ortiz. “I think she has great condition, a good trainer. She's doing unbelievable right now. She was just moving smooth out there. She didn't go that fast today but she did it easy, relaxed, and whenever I asked her she was there for me.”

Pedigree Notes:

One of 32 stakes winners, 16 graded stakes winners and seven Grade I winners for 2010 GI Kentucky Derby hero Super Saver, Letruska is the third black-type performer and second black-type winner from seven foals to race out of GSP Magic Appeal, a half-sister to GISW and sire J P's Gusto (Successful Appeal) and the dam of dual Canadian champion Miss Mischief (Into Mischief). Second dam Call Her Magic (Caller I. D.) was an eight-time winner in 14 career starts and ran a 107 Beyer when airing in a turf sprint stake by 6 3/4 lengths at Delaware in 2000. She is also a half-sister to the dam of 2008 GI Kentucky Oaks winner Proud Spell (Proud Citizen). Magic Appeal, a $100,000 Keeneland November pickup by Letruska's owner/breeder in 2015, has an unraced 2-year-old Hard Spun colt named Ocotzingo, a yearling colt by Arrogate and a weanling filly by Malibu Moon. She was bred to Curlin this spring.

Sunday, Keeneland
JUDDMONTE SPINSTER S.-GI, $500,000, Keeneland, 10-10, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 1/8m, 1:49.01, 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 Stables, LLC (KY); T-Fausto Gutierrez; J-Irad
Ortiz, Jr. $300,000. Lifetime Record: Ch. 3yo Filly-Mex,
22-17-1-1, $2,236,459. *1/2 to Trigger Warning (Candy Ride
(ARG)), MSW & GISP, $555,378. Werk Nick Rating:
   Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Dunbar Road, 124, m, 5, by Quality Road
                1st Dam: Gift List, by Bernardini
                2nd Dam: Private Gift, by Unbridled
                3rd Dam: Private Status, by Alydar
($350,000 Ylg '17 KEESEP). O-Peter M. Brant; B-Jeffery J.
Drown (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. $100,000.
3–Bonny South, 124, f, 4, by Munnings
                1st Dam: Touch the Star, by Tapit
                2nd Dam: Willstar, by Nureyev
                3rd Dam: Nijinsky Star, by Nijinsky II
O/B-Juddmonte Farms Inc (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. $50,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, 2 1/4, 2HF. Odds: 0.40, 4.60, 6.10.
Also Ran: Crystal Ball, Envoutante, Town Avenger. Scratched: High Regard. 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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Pearls Galore Confirmed For BC Mile

Dual Group 1 runner-up Pearls Galore (Fr) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) has been confirmed for the upcoming GI Breeders' Cup Mile at Del Mar in November. A winner of the G3 Brownstown S. on July 11 and G3 Fairy Bridge S. on Aug. 26, the Haras de Saint-Pair homebred was second in both the G1 Matron S. at Leopardstown on Sept. 11 and the Oct. 3 G1 Prix de la Foret.

Trainer Paddy Twomey said, “She came out of the race last weekend fantastic and she's in good form. She's going to the Breeders' Cup Mile. She wouldn't have liked the ground last week, she wants fast ground. If she gets a low draw in Del Mar I'd be very hopeful of her running a good race. I spent a summer out in Del Mar when I was a kid and I'd love to have a winner there.”

The Breeders' Cup is also the target for Oct. 8 G3 Cornwallis S. victor Twilight Jet (Ire) (Twilight Son {GB}). Owned and trained by Michael O'Callaghan, the colt will run in the GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

“Hopefully he's going to the Breeders Cup now,” said O'Callaghan. “It'll be his 11th start of the year. After he won the other day I was saying 'I'll give this lad a break'–but he arrived home the next morning and he told me different.

“He absolutely loves racing, he has a great constitution. He's just a bit of an animal, he loves his job and he's a dream to train. He's won the Cornwallis now and he's danced every dance this year so whatever he does at the Breeders' Cup will be a bonus.”

He added, “If he goes there in good fettle he'll run a big race. He runs in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint and we're looking forward to it.”

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Slipstream Punches Ticket to BC in Belmont’s Futurity

Jump Sucker Stable's Slipstream backed up a sharp maiden victory earlier in the meet with a score in the GIII Futurity S. Sunday at Belmont, a Win and You're In qualifier for the GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

Debuting locally over six furlongs on grass, the $170,000 Keeneland September purchase ran an even fifth after hitting the gate at the start, then faced more early trouble in a Saratoga off-the-turfer July 30 before finishing a distant third. Cruising to a 5 1/4-length graduation going seven panels here Sept. 18, the dark bay was made the second choice here and was checked several times in the opening furlong to be relegated to last behind a :22.39 quarter. Advancing while saving ground on the turn, he awaited room in early stretch, squeezed through at the rail at the furlong grounds, tipped into the two path soon after and overhauled pace-dueling longshot Run Curtis Run in deep stretch to prevail. Even-money favorite Chi Town Lady (Verrazano) was a no-factor sixth.

“I'm very happy,” said winning trainer Christophe Clement. “He belongs to Jump Sucker–a partnership that belongs to [NYRA board member] Stephen Duncker and three of his friends. I haven't had a really good horse for them since Governor Malibu a few years ago. I thought he would be a bit closer to the pace, but I train and let Joel [Rosario] ride. He rides better than I do and I train better than he does. He said he got really slammed coming out the gate. Otherwise, I thought he was cruising and going well. I love the way he finished. He was very impressive when he broke his maiden here last time.”

Clement also said that his preference is to run in the one-mile GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf despite now having a fees-paid berth to the Juvenile Turf Sprint.

“If it's up to me, yes. We have to see how he comes out of it and be sure the owners are on board and that everything goes well. I'd like to go [Juvenile Turf Sprint] with Derrynane, who won [the Woodbine Cares] at Woodbine last month. I still don't know if they'll invite her or not. I prefer six [furlongs] going into a race that's a mile at Del Mar on firm than a mile and a sixteenth and drop back to a mile. I always like when you go to California, the idea of pushing that sprinter speed going six or seven furlongs to a mile.”

Pedigree Notes:

With the victory, Slipstream becomes the 211th stakes winner and 96th graded stakes winner for WinStar's 24-year-old stalwart More Than Ready. He is the second foal to race out of his stakes-placed dam, following Too Sexy (Quality Road), who scored in an allowance/optional claimer with a career-high 89 Beyer at Belmont Sept. 25. His second dam was an Illinois-bred stakes winner. Cake Baby, a $110,000 Keeneland November pickup by McKenzie Bloodstock in 2016, produced a colt by Catalina Cruiser this term before being bred to Game Winner.

Sunday, Belmont Park
FUTURITY S.-GIII, $150,000, Belmont, 10-10, 2yo, 6fT, 1:08.36, fm.
1–SLIPSTREAM, 120, c, 2, by More Than Ready
                1st Dam: Cake Baby (SP), by Stormy Atlantic
                2nd Dam: Dharma Girl, by French Deputy
                3rd Dam: Cashelmara, by Key to the Mint
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($170,000
Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Jump Sucker Stable; B-Burleson Farm &
McKenzie Bloodstock (KY); T-Christophe Clement; J-Joel
Rosario. $82,500. Lifetime Record: 4-2-0-1, $147,600.
Werk Nick Rating: A.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Run Curtis Run, 122, c, 2, Summer Front–My Magic Moment,
by Forest Wildcat. ($45,000 Ylg '20 EASOCT). O-Michael Dubb
& Michael J. Caruso; B-Larry Goichman (NY); T-Michael J.
Maker. $30,000.
3–Biz Biz Buzz, 120, c, 2, Fed Biz–Our Candy Striper, by Candy
Ride (Arg). O-Live Oak Plantation; B-Live Oak Stud (FL);
T-Michael J. Trombetta. $18,000.
Margins: 1, HF, 3/4. Odds: 2.30, 20.50, 10.50.
Also Ran: Midnight Worker, Poppy Flower, Chi Town Lady, Kavod, Ready to March. 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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Ward Duo Loom Large in Futurity

A spot in the starting gate for the GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint will be on the line in Sunday's GIII Futurity S. at Belmont Park.

The Wesley Ward-trained duo of unbeaten Chi Town Lady (Verrazano) and Poppy Flower (Lea), both scratched out of Saturday's loaded GIII Matron S., are the top two choices on the morning-line while taking on the boys here.

Keeneland debut winner Chi Town Lady switched to turf following some time on the shelf to add Saratoga's Bolton Landing S. Aug. 18. Poppy Flower, in the money in all five of her career starts, followed a second behind her aforementioned stablemate in the Bolton Landing with a third-place finish in the Ainsworth S. at Kentucky Downs Sept. 12.

Midnight Worker (Outwork), a game debut winner at the Spa July 24 and third-place finisher in Monmouth's Sapling S. Sept. 5, switches to grass here. Scratched from last Sunday's GII Pilgrim S., Midnight Worker has breezed twice over the Belmont inner turf, including a sharp half-mile in :48.44 (4/20) Sept. 26.

“I worked him a couple of times on the grass and he seemed to breeze pretty well over it, so hopefully he can step up,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “It seems like the Outworks are pretty versatile. He's had some winners on both dirt and turf which gives you some options.”

Live Oak homebred Biz Biz Buzz (Fed Biz) graduated smartly after getting bumped at the start in his debut sprinting over the Laurel lawn Sept. 10 while Slipstream (More Than Ready) got it right at third asking with a sharp, front-running score over the Belmont lawn Sept. 18.

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