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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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Weekend Lineup Presented By NYRA Bets: Big Travers Card Features Six Grade 1 Races

A quartet of Breeders' Cup Challenge races and the $1.25 million Travers Stakes highlight this weekend's racing action in North America, with a total of six Grade 1 stakes on Saturday's card at Saratoga.

The Travers drew a field of seven headlined by last year's juvenile champion Essential Quality. The Brad Cox-trained 3-year-old was undefeated until he finished fourth in the Kentucky Derby, but returned to win both the Belmont Stakes and the Jim Dandy.

Other top runners expected to compete on Saturday include champion female sprinter Gamine in the G1 Ballerina, division leader Letruska in the G1 Personal Ensign, and the highly-regarded 3-year-old Life Is Good returns in the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens for new trainer Todd Pletcher.

On the West Coast, a Breeders' Cup berth is on the line in Saturday's G2 Pat O'Brien Stakes at Del Mar, where C Z Rocket is the morning-line choice. On Sunday, Kentucky Derby first-place finisher Medina Spirit returns to the races in the listed Shared Belief Stakes.

Here's a quick snapshot of this weekend's graded stakes schedule, starting with Saratoga's big races (all times Eastern):

Saturday

3:02 p.m. – $500,000 Grade 1 Ballerina Handicap at Saratoga

Michael Lund Petersen's Gamine, the Eclipse Award-winning female sprinter of 2020, will get another chance to flash her championship form over a track she dominated last summer when she heads a field of seven in Saturday's G1 Ballerina at Saratoga Race Course.

Also in from the West Coast is Bo Hirsch's 5-year-old homebred mare Ce Ce, who also shipped cross-country for her last start, the G2 Princess Rooney July 3 at Gulfstream Park, beating runner-up and fellow Ballerina entrant Estilo Talentoso.

Godolphin homebred Lake Avenue is chasing her second career graded stakes victory and first in a G1 after running second by a neck in each of her last two starts – the G3 Bed o' Roses June 4 at Belmont Park and G2 Honorable Miss July 28 at Saratoga.

Ballerina Entries

3:37 p.m. – $600,000 Grade 1 Forego Stakes at Saratoga

Calumet Farm homebred Lexitonian, a racing enigma who broke through with his biggest performance to date last month, goes after a second consecutive win for the first time in his career in Saturday's seven-furlong contest.

Five of the eight horses entered in the Forego are G1 winners, including Firenze Fire, Mind Control, Mischevious Alex, and Whitmore, the champion sprinter of 2020. Lexitonian joined the group with a half-length victory in the six-furlong Alfred G. Vanderbilt July 31, his 19th career start.

Also in the field, Yaupon won each of his first four career starts last year, two of them coming at Saratoga – an open allowance triumph over older horses and the G2 Amsterdam – as well as the Chick Lang. Following a troubled eighth in both the Breeders' Cup Sprint to end 2020 and the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen to open 2021, Yaupon returned to capture Pimlico's Lite the Fuse July 4 in his most recent outing.

Forego Entries

4:12 p.m. – $500,000 Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes at Saratoga

J. Kirk and Judy Robison's Jackie's Warrior will seek to solidify himself as the nation's leading sophomore sprinter when taking on a compact field. Jackie's Warrior, trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, has shown an affinity for Saratoga, having not come close to losing in three starts at the Spa.

Jackie's Warrior's biggest obstacle could come from the presence of returning graded stakes winner Life Is Good, who arrives off a five-month hiatus and makes his debut for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. The highly-regarded son of leading sire Into Mischief, owned by CHC Inc. and WinStar Farm, is unbeaten in three starts on the West Coast and has never been behind horses at any point of call, when racing from the barn of Bob Baffert.

Jerkens Entries

4:47 p.m. – $600,000 Grade 1 Personal Ensign Stakes at Saratoga

Despite Letruska's imposing presence, a field of nine top-class older fillies and mares will line up to go 1 1/18 miles at Saratoga. Trained by Fausto Gutierrez, the dual G1-winning Letruska will be attempting her fourth consecutive graded stakes score. She has already secured her Breeders' Cup Distaff spot with a dominating gate-to-wire 2 ¾ lengths victory in the G1 Ogden Phipps, also a “Win and You're In” event, two starts back at Belmont Park on June 5.

Kenny McPeek is returning Peter Callahan's Swiss Skydiver to the distaff division. After circumstances forced his hand earlier in the Saratoga meet, he ran her in the G1 Whitney against the boys last out on Aug. 7, and she finished fourth.

Bonny South will try to turn the tables on Letruska after a runner-up finish in the Ogden Phipps. The 4-year-old filly was a well-beaten fifth in her last start in the G2 Delaware Handicap as the odds-on favorite, but has been breezing impressively with stablemate, G1 Runhappy Travers Stakes 4-5 favorite [and Belmont Stakes-winner] Essential Quality.

As Time Goes By runs for the Coolmore connections and has been sent from the Southern California base of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. She ran second to Swiss Skydiver in the G1 Beholder Mile and then racked up a pair of G2 wins, taking the Santa Margarita by 9 ¼ lengths and the Santa Maria by a nose, both at Santa Anita.

Personal Ensign Entries

5:25 p.m. – $750,000 Grade 1 Sword Dancer Stakes at Saratoga

Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown will saddle a pair of strong contenders in Tribhuvan and Rockemperor, who will square off against a talented field of G1 winners in the 1 1/2-mile turf contest, which offers a “Win and You're In” berth to the winner for the Breeders' Cup Turf.

With seven wins and more than $3.2 million in purse earnings, Channel Maker will make his fourth straight Sword Dancer appearance following a second in 2018, a fourth in 2019, and a win last year to highlight his championship campaign that also included a score in the G1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Belmont.

Japan, trained by Aidan O'Brien, will make his first start in North America. The 5-year-old, who boasts a record of seven wins and four thirds from 18 starts with purse earnings in excess of $2.1 million, posted consecutive G1 wins in 2019 in the 12-furlong Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp and the 1 5/16-mile Juddmonte International at York. Japan has notched a pair of G3 wins in four starts this campaign, taking the 1 11/16-mile Ormond in May at Chester and the nine-furlong Meld last out on July 15 at Leopardstown.

Sword Dancer Entries

6:12 p.m. – $1.25 million Grade 1 Travers Stakes at Saratoga

Juvenile champion Essential Quality overcame Hot Rod Charlie's blistering fractions to run down his rival in the G1 Belmont Stakes on June 5 and followed that 109 Beyer Speed Figure effort with a half-length win over Travers rival Keepmeinmind in the G2 Jim Dandy going 1 1/8 miles.

Keepmeinmind competed in the Triple Crown's second leg, running fourth in the Preakness before earning additional black type with a third place G3 Ohio Derby performance in June. Keepmeinmind matched his career-best 97 Beyer for closing on Essential Quality in the Jim Dandy last month, finishing second and 2 1/4 lengths ahead of fellow Travers foe Masqueparade.

Midnight Bourbon, the runner-up to Rombauer in the Preakness, has not raced since clipping heels with Hot Rod Charlie and unseating rider Paco Lopez in the G1 Haskell in July at Monmouth Park. Masqueparade bested King Fury by a half length in the Ohio Derby, extending his winning streak to three, before finishing third in a Jim Dandy contest that will see the trifecta rematch in the Travers.

King Fury, runner-up in the Ohio Derby, trained at Saratoga through an EHV-1 quarantine, causing him to miss the G2 Jim Dandy and instead return in the G1 Saratoga Derby Invitational on Aug. 7. He finished 10th after a wide trip in his turf debut.

Dynamic One – second in the G2 Wood Memorial – showed his affinity for the Saratoga track last out, rallying from last-of-seven to close strong, besting Miles D by 1 3/4 lengths in the Curlin on July 30 at Saratoga for his first stakes victory.

Travers Entries

9:35 p.m. – $200,000 Grade 2 Pat O'Brien Stakes at Del Mar

A field of 10 stout sprinters will travel seven furlongs the Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” Challenge race funneling into the Dirt Mile.

Morning-line choice C Z Rocket, a veteran gelding who found a new lease on life when he was haltered for $40,000 16 months ago and took up residence in the barn of trainer Peter Miller. The 7-year-old has since won seven races, four of them stakes, and placed in three other added-money tests to bank more than $1.1-million for his new connections.

Chief threat to C Z Rocket appears to be another classy veteran, the 7-year-old Flagstaff, a winner of seven races and $1,011,585. The gelding by sprint champion Speightstown has made five starts this year, but this will be his first in his California home base.

Trainer Bob Baffert has a pair in the dash in Eight Rings and Classier. The former, a 4-year-old colt by Empire Maker, was second beaten only a neck in the G1 Bing Crosby Stakes at six furlongs earlier in the meet. Classier, a 3-year-old colt also by Empire Maker, shortens up off a score in the Los Alamitos Derby at nine furlongs on July 4.

O'Brien Entries

Here's a look at the remainder of the weekend's graded stakes, courtesy of NTRA:

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Tough Task In Personal Ensign, But Miss Marissa ‘Going In The Right Direction’

Trainer Jim Ryerson said he knows that Miss Marissa is facing the biggest challenge of her career in Saturday's Grade 1, $600,000 Personal Ensign Presented by Lia Infiniti for older fillies and mares at Saratoga, yet he's optimistic that she will give a good accounting of herself.

“The race is very, very tough. There couldn't be a tougher filly and mare race anywhere,” Ryerson said of the nine-furlong test stacked with nine multiple stakes winners and three Grade 1 winners. “But we're here to participate. This race is so tough, but she deserves a chance to run with these and we'll see what happens.”

The Personal Ensign field includes three-time Grade 1 winner and reigning Champion 3-Year-Old Filly Swiss Skydiver, who beat the boys in last year's Grade 1 Preakness and took the Grade 1 Alabama on this track last year; Letruska, who won the Grade 1 Apple Blossom, the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps, and the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis in her last three outings; and Harvey's Lil Goil, the 2020 winner of the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup on the grass. Add dual Grade 2 winner As Time Goes By, whom Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert is so confident in that he sent her here from Southern California, to the mix.

That lineup is mighty fearsome but Miss Marissa, whom Alphonso Cammarota bought for the bargain price of $11,000 as a yearling, might have a surprise in store. She's done it before.

Sent off at 10-1, she was a neck winner over Bonny South in the 2020 Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan in October. She outran her odds again last time out when she took the Grade 2 Delaware Handicap on July 10 and Bonny South disappointed as the odds-on favorite with a fifth place finish. Incidentally, the Brad Cox-trained, Grade 3 winning Bonny South is also entered in Saturday's Personal Ensign.

“Marissa jumped up those times in those Grade 2s. Absolutely,” her trainer said. “She's been very consistent over the last year and done very well running two turns.”

What is also beneficial to this filly is her familiarity with her Saratoga surroundings and her affinity for the racing strip. In a pair of Saratoga starts she finished first in an optional claiming allowance race at nine furlongs in August 2020 and was the runner-up in a maiden special weight race in 2019.

“She ran good on this track and won that allowance race on this track last year. That race she ran here last year was her coming out party. She really improved in terms of her speed and her ability to run a mile-and-an-eighth, and that race propelled her into the Black-Eyed Susan,” Ryerson said. “I think that she has grown up both physically and mentally this year. She's more relaxed, she's put on weight, she's grown. She's matured like you would want a filly to move from three to four. I think that's why you see those two efforts since we stopped her in January and gave her a freshening. Those were real solid efforts and she's going in the right direction. Whether she's good enough, we'll find out on Saturday.”

The Personal Ensign is a “Win and You're In” qualifier for the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff at Del Mar in November. Ryerson last had a Breeders' Cup runner when multiple graded stakes winner Park Avenue Ball competed in the 2007 Dirt Mile. He is best known as the trainer of 1995 Breeders' Cup Juvenile with Unbridled's Song, who also captured the Grade 1 1996 Florida Derby.

“When you're lucky enough to have a nice horse, they make things different for you and for the whole crew. Everybody gets excited. This is some important stuff,” said Ryerson.

Daniel Centeno has been Miss Marissa's partner for the wins in the Black-Eyed Susan and the Delaware Handicap and Ryerson will leg him up again on Saturday.

“Daniel has done great with her and they team up well. We're sticking with him. He deserves this chance and Marissa deserves this chance,” he said.

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Special Two-Day Pick 4 Planned For Travers Weekend At Saratoga

The New York Racing Association Inc. (NYRA) will host a special two-day Pick 4 featuring exciting stakes action from historic Saratoga Race Course during the Runhappy Travers weekend.

The wager, which features a $2 minimum base, will be offered with a mandatory payout. Free past performances are available via NYRA.com and NYRABets.com. For more information, visit NYRA.com/CrossCountry.

The first two legs will be the $250,000 Albany and the $150,000 Yaddo in Races 9 and 10, respectively, on Friday. The concluding legs will take place the following day, starting with the Grade 1, $600,000 Personal Ensign presented by Lia Infiniti in Race 10 and culminating with the Grade 1, $1.25 million Runhappy Travers in Race 12.

Friday's New York Showcase Day will kick off the wager, starting with the Albany for 3-year-olds contesting 1 1/8 miles on the main track with a 5:39 p.m. Eastern post time. Americanrevolution will look to continue his upward trajectory following a 7 ¼-length victory in the New York Derby at Finger Lakes. The son of Constitution handled his two-turn debut with flying colors, arriving at the New York Derby off a narrow triumph against next-out winner Water's Edge in a June 20 maiden event going six furlongs at Belmont Park.

Trainer Kelly Breen will saddle two contenders in It's a Gamble and It's Gravy.

It's a Gamble, a son of English Channel, earned an open company stakes victory when capturing an off-the-turf edition of the Jersey Derby on May 28 at Monmouth Park. The three-time winner broke his maiden over the Mellon turf last summer at Saratoga and defeated winners over the Aqueduct outer turf in the final start of his 2-year-old season.

It's Gravy, by Freud, is in search of his first victory since breaking his maiden on January 16 over a muddy and sealed main track at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Yaddo, with a 6:13 p.m. post time, is the last of six stakes for New York-breds worth a combined $1.15 million on the Friday card. The handicap for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up going 1 1/16 miles on the Mellon turf course will see a loaded 10-horse field headlined by Myhartblongstodady who returns to defend her title after scoring gate-to-wire last summer. The 6-year-old Scat Daddy bay, trained by Jorge Abreu, boasts a record of 13-5-2-3 with purse earnings of $344,216.

Strong opposition will be provided by the Christophe Clement-trained Classic Lady, who finished third in last year's Yaddo and last out ran fourth in an open optional-claiming race over the Monmouth Park turf on July 31.

Saturday's Runhappy Travers Day, featuring seven graded stakes, including six Grade 1s, will continue the two-day wager with the 74th running of the Personal Ensign for fillies and mares 4-years-old and up going 1 1/8 miles with a 4:47 p.m. post time.

The contest, a “Win and You're In” qualifier for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff in November at Del Mar, will see 2020 Grade 1 Preakness-winner Swiss Skydiver take on multiple Grade 1-winning Letruska, who will be attempting her fourth consecutive graded stakes score for trainer Fausto Gutierrez. Letruska has already secured her Breeders' Cup Distaff spot with a dominating gate-to-wire victory in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps, also a “Win and You're In” event, on Belmont Stakes Day June 5.

Swiss Skydiver, the reigning 3-Year-Old Filly champion and 2020 Grade 1 Alabama winner for conditioner Kenny McPeek, will go up against a talented field that includes Letruska and other top contenders including Bonny South.

Bonny South, from the barn of reigning Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox, will try to turn the tables on Letruska after a runner-up finish in the Ogden Phipps.

Concluding the two-day Pick 4 will be the 152nd running of the Runhappy Travers for 3-year-olds contesting the classic distance of 1 1/4 miles at 6:12 p.m. on FOX. Cox will send out the reigning Champion 2-Year-Old Essential Quality, who has sustained his excellence as a 3-year-old with back-to-back wins in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes in June and a last out victory in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy in his first start over the Saratoga track.

Keepmeinmind, trained by Robertino Diodoro, will look to turn the tables on Essential Quality, after running a hard-charging second to the Runhappy Travers morning-line favorite in the Grade 1 Breeders' Futurity and ran third in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile in 2020.

The seven-horse Runhappy Travers field is also comprised of Midnight Bourbon for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, Dynamic One, for Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, Masqueparade [Al Stall, Jr.], King Fury [McPeek] and Miles D [Chad Brown].

Two-day Pick 4 – Friday August 27:
Leg A: Saratoga – Race 9, Albany (5:39 p.m.)
Leg B: Saratoga – Race 10, Yaddo (6:13 p.m.)

Saturday August 28:
Leg C: Saratoga – Race 10, G1 Personal Ensign presented by Lia Infiniti (4:47 p.m.)
Leg D: Saratoga – Race 12, G1 Runhappy Travers (6:12 p.m.)

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