Letruska's task in Personal Ensign won't be easy

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Letruska’s presence didn’t scare off anyone from Saturday’s Grade 1, $600,000 Personal Ensign field, as eight fillies and mares were entered against her in the Grade 1 race, which offers a fees-paid berth into the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

One of the surprise entrants in the 1 1/8-mile Personal Ensign was As Time Goes By, trained by Bob Baffert. As Time Goes By won the Grade 2 Santa Margarita and Grade 2 Santa Maria at Santa Anita before finishing fourth of five in the Grade 1 Clement L. Hirsch at Del Mar earlier this month.

“I think the mile and an eighth is going to help her,” Baffert said. “She got away bad the other day. I really thought she was going to run well.”

Letruska, whose four wins this year include the Grade 1 Apple Blossom and Grade 1 Ogden Phipps, drew post 6 in a field of nine.

The others entered are Dunbar Road, Bonny South, Swiss Skydiver, Royal Flag, Miss Marissa, Harvey’s Lil Goil, and Graceful Princess.