Fausto Gutierrez | Horse Racing Free Tips

Letruska Makes Easy Work Of Five-Furlong Breeze At Keeneland

“Bueno,” reported exercise rider Felipe Jacobo.

“She did it very easy,” added trainer Fausto Gutierrez.

In a nutshell, that summed up the 5-furlong work in :59 over a fast track Saturday morning for St. George Stable's homebred Letruska, the top-rated mare in North America.

Working on her own at just after 9 a.m. following the morning's second renovation break, Letruska posted fractions of :22.60, :35.40, :46.80, :59 and out 6 furlongs in 1:11 in her final preparations for next Sunday's $500,000 Juddmonte Spinster (G1). The work was the best of 55 at the distance.

For Letruska, this morning's move was her second local work since winning the Personal Ensign (G1) at Saratoga Aug. 28. Last Saturday, Letruska worked a best-of-76 half-mile in :47.40.

In addition to Letruska, several other horses pointing toward Fall Stars Weekend stakes put in main track works headed by Michael McLoughlin's Kevin's Folly, who covered 5 furlongs in :59.40 in company under Edgar Morales for trainer Tom Amoss. Kevin's Folly, third in the Hopeful (G1) in his most recent start, is headed to the $500,000 Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1) next Saturday.

Also working for Amoss was Jerry Caroom's Pipeline Girl (5 furlongs in :59.80) in preparation for Friday's opening-day $400,000 Darley Alcibiades (G1).

Ranlo Investment's Golden Pal, winner of last fall's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G2), worked 5 furlongs in 1:01 over a firm turf course in company with Indian Summer (L) Presented by Keeneland Select hopeful Averly Jane (1:01.80) in preparation for next Saturday's $200,000 Woodford (G2) Presented by TVG. Averly Jane is owned by Hat Creek Racing.

Golden Pal and Averly Jane were two of five turf workers for trainer Wesley Ward, whose contingent included Indian Summer hopeful Kaufymaker (5 furlongs in 1:02) and multiple Group 1 winner Campanelle (IRE) (5 furlongs in 1:02). Kaufymaker races for Gregory Kaufman. Stonestreet Stables own Campanelle.

Other turf works of note included George Sharp's Front Run the Fed (4 furlongs in :50.80) and Clipper Logistics' Space Traveller (GB) (4 furlongs in :50.40) for the $750,000 Keeneland Turf Mile (G1); Apogee Racing's Abscond (5 furlongs in 1:02) for the $400,000 First Lady (G1) Presented by UK HealthCare; and Phoenix Thoroughbred's Tiz the Bomb (4 furlongs in :49) for the $200,000 Castle & Key Bourbon (G2).

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Letruska ‘In Good Order’ After Personal Ensign Win, Looks Toward Spinster Next

Keeping watch over trainer Fausto Gutierrez's stable star Sunday morning at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., groom Jose Diaz reported St. George Stable homebred Letruska emerged from her thrilling victory in Saturday's $600,000 Grade 1 Personal Ensign presented by Lia Infiniti in good order.

Diaz said Letruska will leave Saratoga Monday bound for Monmouth Park, where the South Florida-based Gutierrez also maintains a string of horses. The trainer said Letruska would be pointed to the $500,000 Grade 1 Juddmonte Spinster October 10 at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., as a final prep for the $2 million Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff November 6 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

Letruska led from start to finish and turned back several challengers in the final furlong to capture the 1 1/8-mile Personal Ensign by a half-length, her fourth consecutive victory and 16th in 21 lifetime starts. Nine of her wins have come in graded stakes, five of them against Grade or Group 1 competition.

“She has ability, but more she has a big heart. This a special horse,” Gutierrez said following the win. “To have this speed and to be able to run long distances, and to have the big heart is special. Not for nothing, I think this is one of the best horses in the country.”

The Personal Ensign was Letruska's third victory this year in a “Win and You're In” challenge race for the Distaff, following the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps June 5 at Belmont Park and Grade 2 Fleur de Lis June 26 at Churchill Downs. She has won five of her six starts in 2021, including a defeat of champion Monomoy Girl in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom April 17 at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark. Her lone loss this year came by a head in Oaklawn's Grade 2 Azeri March 13.

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Letruska Holds Off All Challengers To Win Personal Ensign

Already at the top of the older filly and mare division, already a multiple Grade 1 winner, Letruska demonstrated her dominance over all challengers again today. In the Grade 1 Personal Ensign, she fought off Swiss Skydiver early and then a surging trio of fillies and mares late to earn her third Breeders' Cup Win and You're In victory in 2021.

Breaking from post four, Jose Ortiz hustled Swiss Skydiver to the lead, but Irad Ortiz, Jr. on Letruska took over on the first turn, darting out to the lead with the 2020 Preakness Stakes winner in second. On the backstretch, Letruska was in front by two, with Miss Marissa, Swiss Skydiver, and Harvey's Lil Goil behind her. Through early fractions of :23.01 for the quarter-mile and :46.74 for the half, Letruska had no trouble maintaining her lead through challenges from Harvey's Little Goil on her outside on the far turn, Swiss Skydiver still in position on the rail to challenge again in the stretch. Once again, Letruska was not going to give up the lead.

Into the stretch, Letruska showed no signs of slowing down, with Swiss Skydiver falling back and Bonny South, Royal Flag, and Dunbar Road surging down the stretch. They could not catch her, with Letruska outlasting the closers to win by a half-length. The final time for the 1 1/8-mile Personal Ensign was 1:49.15.

Letruska paid $3.50, $3.10, and $2.60. Bonny South paid $10.60 and $5.30. Royal Flag paid $4.10.

Winners of Breeders' Cup Win and You're In events received a fees-paid, guaranteed spot in the starting gate for the corresponding Breeders' Cup race at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif., on Nov. 6. The G1 Personal Ensign is a Win and You're In race for the Breeders' Cup Distaff.

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Letruska Hangs On in Personal Ensign

Letruska (Super Saver) continued her domination of the distaff division with determined triumph in Saratoga's GI Personal Ensign S. Saturday, a “Win and You're in” for the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff at Del Mar in November. Favored at 3-5 to score her fourth straight win, the bay rushed up challenge champion Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil), who broke like a shot and was hustled away from the stalls by her pilot Jose Ortiz. His elder brother Irad Ortiz charged past the chalk exiting the first turn and Swiss Skydiver settled back in third as GII Delaware H. victress Miss Marissa (He's Had Enough) moved up to press Letruska through a :23.01 opening quarter and :46.74 half-mile. Miss Marissa called it quits at that point and Harvey's Lil Goil (American Pharoah), a Grade I winner on turf, charged up to pressure the pacesetter through three-quarters in 1:10.76.

Turning for home in front, Letruska was immediately confronted by Swiss Skydiver to her inside as Harvey's Lil Goil threw in the towel on the outside and MGSW Bonny South (Munnings) ranged up to take her place. Swiss Skydiver grew leg weary at the sixteenth-pole, but Bonny South continued to box on with GIII Shuvee H. winner Royal Flag (Candy Ride {Arg}) glued to her outside and Dunbar Road (Quality Road) rallying strongly out in the four path. Letruska kept on finding in deep stretch, digging deep to out-foot her foes for an half-length success. Bonny South held second by a head over Royal Flag and it was just another head back to Dunbar Road in fourth.

“I had concerns when they were running at her because these are very good horses and they are in good form,” said winning trainer Fausto Gutierrez, who indicated Letruska would have her final Breeders' Cup prep in Keeneland's GI Juddmonte Spinster S. “I'm very pleased with the way she ran. Every place that she's run, with all the horses she's run against. She's fast, she fights and she's a real racehorse. She has ability, but more she has a big heart. This a special horse.”

Irad Ortiz echoed Gutierrez's sentiments, saying, “She's a special horse. I am very excited and happy for the trainer, Fausto Gutierrez. He's done such a great job with her. She's doing great. She does all the hard work, I just pilot her. She's easy to ride.”

Winner of the Shuvee at this venue last year, Letruska kicked off 2021 with a decisive score in the GIII Houston Ladies Classic S. Jan. 31 and came up a head short of last term's GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil) in Oaklawn's GII Azeri S. Mar. 13. Letruska stamped herself as the one to watch this season when besting champions Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) and Swiss Skydiver with a narrow win in the GI Apple Blossom H. in Hot Springs Apr. 17. Defeating Bonny South by 2 3/4 lengths in Belmont's GI Ogden Phipps S. June 5, the bay romped in Churchill's GII Fleur de Lis H. last out June 26.

Pedigree Notes:

Letruska is one of six Grade I winners for the expatriated Super Saver and one of 14 graded scorers for that GI Kentucky Derby winner. The winner's dam Magic Appeal (Successful Appeal), who finished third in this venue's GII Adirondack S., is also the dam of MSW & GISP Trigger Warning (Candy Ride {Arg}) and SP American Doll (Tiznow). The full-sister to J P's Gusto is also responsible for the unraced juvenile colt Ocotzingo (Hard Spun), a yearling colt by the late champion Arrogate and a 2021 filly by the late Malibu Moon. Magic Appeak was bred back to Curlin. Letruska hails from the family of American champion Proud Spell (Proud Citizen) and Canadian champion Miss Mischief (Into Mischief).

Saturday, Saratoga
PERSONAL ENSIGN S. PRESENTED BY LIA INFINITI-GI, $600,000, Saratoga, 8-28, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/8m, 1:49.15, 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-Irad Ortiz Jr. $320,000. Lifetime Record: 21-16-1-1, $1,936,459. *1/2 to Trigger Warning (Candy Ride {Arg}), MSW & GISP, $555,378. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Bonny South, 120, f, 4, by Munnings
1st Dam: Touch the Star, by Tapit
2nd Dam: Willstar, by Nureyev
3rd Dam: Nijinsky Star, by Nijinsky II
O-Juddmonte; B-Juddmonte Farms Inc (KY); T-Brad H Cox. $112,000.
3–Royal Flag, 120, m, 5, by Candy Ride (Arg)
1st Dam: Sea Gull, by Mineshaft
2nd Dam: Exclusive Bird, by Storm Bird
3rd Dam: Exclusive Moment, by Exclusive Native
O/B-W S Farish (KY); T-Chad C Brown. $60,000.
Margins: HF, HD, HD. Odds: 0.75, 23.40, 9.80.
Also Ran: Dunbar Road, Swiss Skydiver, As Time Goes By, Harvey's Lil Goil, Miss Marissa, Graceful Princess.
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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