Letruska's Apple Blossom prize: R E S P E C T
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
The champion Letruska was getting a whole lot of it Sunday morning at Oaklawn Park, a day after winning her second consecutive Grade 1, $1 million Apple Blossom Handicap.
A shower that started to intensify just before she was to board a van heading back home to Keeneland gave way to sunshine as Letruska emerged from the barn - in an apparent nod from Mother Nature.
From there, Letruska's van driver announced her as “The Queen.”
And looking on, trainer Fausto Gutierrez was exuding pure joy in her presence.
“She came back in good form, especially after this strong race,” he said.
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“I tell you, she knows what she’s doing. The difference with Letruska now is she can feel the other horses, the competition, and she likes to be in front and win races like this one. It was a very good time.”
Letruska, who set the pace in the Apple Blossom, covered the 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:42.22. It was the quickest Apple Blossom since 2011, when Havre de Grace won in 1:42.19 under 119 pounds. Letruska was the 124-pound highweight Saturday when she won by 1 1/4 lengths over Clairiere.
For the effort. Letruska equaled her best career Beyer Speed Figure, a 103. She had first earned that number in last year’s Grade 1 Ogden Phipps at Belmont Park, which will likely be her next race, Gutierrez said Sunday.
“Now we go to Keeneland, and the idea is we go to Belmont for the Phipps,” he said.
The end game is another crack at the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, which this year will be held at Keeneland. Gutierrez is making something of a change to her campaign strategy this year, and it concerns her base for 2022.
“She’ll stay all the time around Kentucky - not the same travels like one year ago - and take the advantage of the Breeders’ Cup being there,” he said. “She doesn’t have to move like before and can stay there, it’s more quiet, and try to arrive in the best form for the race.”
Letruska is a daughter of Super Saver who races for her breeder, St. George Stable. She won the Eclipse Award as outstanding older female of 2021. On Sunday, she became just one of four horses to win multiple runnings of the Apple Blossom, behind Azeri, who won three, and two-time winners Zenyatta and Paseana.
Letruska’s van pulled away from the barn just after 10:20 a.m. Central on Sunday and drove right past a sign honoring Paseana.
It won’t be long before there’s one honoring Letruska.
After all, that’s R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
** Champion Ce Ce, who finished third in the Apple Blossom, was scheduled to return home to her Southern California base by lunchtime Sunday, trainer Michael McCarthy said. He said after the race Saturday that she initially emerged from the Apple Blossom in good order. Ce Ce won the Apple Blossom in 2020.