Letruska | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘She’s Happy And Jumping’: Gutierrez Plots Course Toward Breeders’ Cup For Letruska

St. George Stable's Letruska registered a career-best 103 Beyer Speed Figure with a powerful front-running 2 3/4-length score in Saturday's Grade 1, $500,000 Ogden Phipps, a 1 1/16-mile test for older fillies and mares at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Trained by Fausto Gutierrez and piloted by Jose Ortiz, who picked up the mount from his injured brother Irad Ortiz, Jr., the 5-year-old Super Saver mare made the lead and put away the 2020 Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks winner Shedaresthedevil, before outkicking Bonny South.

An undefeated champion in Mexico, Letruska captured the Grade 3 Shuvee at Saratoga last summer, and has reached new heights in her last five starts since removing blinkers to win the Grade 3 Rampart in December at Gulfstream Park.

The talented bay followed with a win in the Grade 3 Houston Ladies Classic in January at Sam Houston; a close second to Shedaresthedevil in the Grade 2 Azeri in March at Oaklawn; and bested both the reigning champion Older Female Monomoy Girl and champion 3-Year-Old Filly Swiss Skydiver in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom in April at Oaklawn.

“She has improved her Beyer in her last five races – 95, 97, 99, 102, and now 103. She has quality,” said Gutierrez. “This is the power that she has in the races that she has run. She's won five group [graded] races in the United States and it's not easy.”

Through 19 starts, the win-happy Letruska has posted a record of 14-1-1 with purse earnings in excess of $1.4 million.

Gutierrez said he is impressed with the way Letruska carries herself while racing against the top fillies and mares in the country.

“She's a horse with natural talent,” Gutierrez said. “She has speed to make her different from the others and be very special in top races. She's run with Shedaresthedevil, 'Monomoy,' Swiss Skydiver, and she makes it look easy. She's a natural runner.”

Gutierrez said the year-end goal for Letruska is the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff on November 6 at Del Mar, but how the mare gets to that race remains up in the air with the Grade 1, $500,000 Personal Ensign on August 28 at Saratoga a possibility.

“Saratoga is one of the natural places to go for prestigious races. We had a very nice experience there last year,” said Gutierrez. “At the same time, we need to put the focus on the Breeders' Cup. To be the number one of the division, we have to be careful planning out her races, but Saratoga could be one of the points along the way.”

No matter which route Gutierrez decides, he said Letruska is already champing at the bit for her next challenge.

“She has come out of the race in great form. She's happy and jumping. It's one of her characteristics after she races,” Gutierrez said.

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Letruska Goes Back-To-Back, Puts On Tour De Force In Ogden Phipps

Picking up the mount from his injured brother, jockey Jose Ortiz made it look easy this Saturday aboard 6-5 favorite Letruska in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps Stakes at Belmont Park. Taking the lead from the start on the 5-year-old daughter of Super Saver, Ortiz controlled the race throughout for a facile 2 3/4-length victory. Trained by Fausto Gutierrez for owner/breeder St. George Stable, Letruska completed 1 1/16 miles over the fast main track in 1:41.25.

The victory earns Letruska an expenses-paid berth to the Breeders' Cup Distaff, scheduled for early November in Del Mar.

It was the second Grade 1 win for both Letruska and Gutierrez; the mare defeated champion Monomoy Girl last out in the Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park.

“Today, she confirmed what we saw in the Apple Blossom,” Gutierrez said. “She's progressed with age and taking the blinkers off. She ran like a big horse. When she would run on the lead, she never saw the other horses. She has improved so much more. She has this class to her. She really likes to run.

“Now we need to focus on the Breeders' Cup with the form that we have. These races are really tough. We'll check how she does. She's a very sound filly and I hope she continues like this.”

The anticipated speed duel with Kentucky Oaks winner Shedaresthedevil did not materialize as Letruska was able to clear away from that rival down the backstretch, setting measured fractions of :23.49 and :45.87. Ortiz held a 1 1/2 length advantage heading into the turn, and Letruska extended that lead to nearly three lengths without being asked to mark three-quarters in 1:10.26.

Shedaresthedevil was unable to match strides with the winner down the lane, and late-running Bonny South moved up from last to gain second. At the finish, however, Letruska was all alone and geared down to win by 2 3/4 lengths. Queen Nekia filled out the super, while Water White finished last of the five. Both Swiss Skydiver and Valiance were scratched.

“She was breaking a little bit slow, but she broke good today,” Ortia said. “I was able to put her on the lead and make the other horses chase me. Florent [Geroux, aboard Shedaresthedevil], if he wanted to beat me, he had to run with me. She couldn't keep up with me by the three-eighths pole. When I looked back and saw her three lengths behind me, I was very happy.”

Bred in Kentucky by her owner, Letruska is out of the graded stakes-placed Successful Appeal mare Magic Appeal, a half to Grade 1 winner J P's Gusto. Letruska is a half-sister to the Grade 1-placed Trigger Warning; St. George purchased the dam, Magic Appeal, with Letruska in utero for $100,000 at the 2015 Keeneland November sale. She began her career in Mexico, winning a pair of G1 races, then came to the United States with her trainer in late 2019. Letruska has blossomed this year as a 5-year-old, winning three of her four starts including back-to-back Grade 1's. Overall, the mare's record stands at 14 wins from 19 starts for earnings of over $1.4 million.

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Letruska Wires the Ogden Phipps

Letruska (Super Saver) continued her ascension with a powerful, front-running performance in Saturday's GI Ogden Phipps S. at Belmont Park, a 'Win and You're In' for the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff.

The bay was backed as the 6-5 favorite in this scratched-down field of five after posting a heart-stopping victory over the brilliant Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) in the GI Apple Blossom H. Apr. 17.

With Jose Ortiz subbing for his sidelined brother Irad Ortiz, Jr. once again here, Letruska seized the early advantage and was tracked by last year's GI Kentucky Oaks and last out GI La Troienne S. heroine Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil) through fractions of :23.49 and :46.76. The pride of Mexico began to let it out a notch rounding the far turn, hit the top of the stretch in complete command and was never seriously threatened en route to a convincing tally.

Bonny South (Munnings) tagged her aforementioned Brad Cox-trained stablemate for second.

“This is back-to-back Grade I wins,” winning trainer Fausto Gutierrez said. “She showed her potential. This is a speed horse that can run long distances. Today, she confirmed what we saw in the Apple Blossom. She's progressed with age and taking the blinkers off. She ran like a big horse.

He continued, “When she would run on the lead, she never saw the other horses. She has improved so much more. She has this class to her. She really likes to run. Now, we need to focus on the Breeders' Cup with the form that we have. These races are really tough. We'll check how she does. She's a very sound filly and I hope she continues like this.”

Letruska began her career with six straight victories in Mexico, including a pair of Group 1 tallies. She was tabbed as the country's champion 3-year-old filly of 2019.

Her U.S. campaign has so far also included victories in Gulfstream's Copa 2019 Invitacional del Caribe S., Saratoga's GIII Shuvee S. last summer, Gulfstream's GIII Rampart S. Dec. 12 and Sam Houston's GIII Houston Ladies Classic S. Jan. 31. She came up just a head short of Shedaresthedevil in the GII Azeri S. Mar. 13.

Pedigree Notes:

Letruska, purchased in utero for $100,000 at KEENOV in 2015, is one of five Grade I winners for the expatriated Super Saver. Successful Appeal is also the broodmare sire of GI Belmont S. winner Tapwrit (Tapit) and a total of 11 graded winners. Letruska is one of three black-type performers for her Grade II-placed dam, a full-sister to Grade I winner J P's Gusto and a half-sister to Kid Majic (Lemon Drop Kid), the dam of two-time Sovereign Award winner and GSW Miss Mischief (Into Mischief) and MSP Mind Out (Tapit). Letruska's third dam produced Pacific Spell (Langfuhr), whose daughter Proud Spell (Proud Citizen) won the 2008 GI Kentucky Oaks en route to an Eclipse Award. Magic Appeal is the dam of the 2-year-old colt Ocotzingo (Hard Spun), a yearling colt by Arrogate and had a filly by Malibu Moon this year.

Saturday, Belmont
OGDEN PHIPPS S.-GI, $480,000, Belmont, 6-5, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16m, 1:41.25, ft.
1–LETRUSKA, 122, 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-St. George Stable LLC; B-St. George Stables, LLC (KY);
T-Fausto Gutierrez; J-Jose L. Ortiz. $275,000. Lifetime Record:
Ch. 3yo Filly-Mex, 19-14-1-1, $1,432,319. *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.
$100,000.
3–Shedaresthedevil, 122, f, 4, by Daredevil
1st Dam: Starship Warpspeed, by Congrats
2nd Dam: Andria's Forest, by Forestry
3rd Dam: Andriana B., by Far North
($100,000 Wlg '17 KEENOV; $20,000 RNA Ylg '18 KEESEP;
$280,000 2yo '19 KEENOV). O-Qatar Racing, Flurry Racing
Stables, LLC & Autry Lowry, Jr.; B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY);
T-Brad H. Cox. $60,000.
Margins: 2 3/4, 1, 10 1/4. Odds: 1.20, 2.50, 1.65.
Also Ran: Queen Nekia, Water White. Scratched: Swiss Skydiver, Valiance.
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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Letruska Inherits Favoritism in Phipps

With champion Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) and GI Breeders' Cup Distaff runner-up Valiance (Tapit) both late defections from Belmont's GI Ogden Phipps S. due to fevers, GI Apple Blossom H. heroine Letruska (Super Saver) will likely inherit favoritism in Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Distaff “Win and You're In” event. Closing out last term with a dominant score in the GIII Rampart S. at Gulfstream Dec. 12, the bay wired the GIII Houston Ladies Classic Jan. 31. She missed by a head to Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil), who also lines up here, in Oaklawn's GII Azeri S. Mar. 13 and out-nosed the mighty Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) last time in Hot Springs, with Swiss Skydiver finishing third.

“She's doing very well since the Apple Blossom,” trainer Fausto Gutierrez said. “She's trained very well at Keeneland. The first question I had was if she could fit with those kind of mares and she showed in that race that she could. She ran like a champion.”

Shedaresthedevil blew up the tote in the GI Kentucky Oaks last September when besting Swiss Skydiver at odds of 15-1. Third next out behind fellow Ogden Phipps competitor Valiance in Keeneland's GI Juddmonte Spinster S. in October, the bay opened her 4-year-old account in the Azeri and followed suit with a one-length score in Churchill's GI La Troienne S. Apr. 30. That win which was further flattered when runner-up Envoutante (Uncle Mo) came back to capture the Shawnee S. beneath the Twin Spires May 29. Her trainer Brad Cox also saddles Juddmonte homebred Bonny South (Munnings), who enters off a victory in Keeneland's GIII Doubledogdare S. Apr. 16.

Rounding out the field are GII Ruffian S. runner-up Water White (Conveyance) and GIII Royal Delta S. victress Queen Nekia (Harlington).

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