With losses in last two starts, Letruska at career crossroads in Spinster
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Fausto Gutierrez says he hasn’t thought about whether the Breeders’ Cup Distaff next month at Keeneland will be the final start for Letruska.
“First we concentrate on this one,” said Gutierrez, who trains Letruska for the St George Stable of owner-breeder German Larrea. “This is a very, very important race Sunday.”
The Grade 1, $600,000 Spinster Stakes on Sunday at Keeneland is the object of Gutierrez’s strictest attention. The 1 1/8-mile race figures to go a long way in determining whether Letruska – the 2021 Eclipse older female dirt champion – still belongs among the divisional elite as the Nov. 5 BC Distaff draws one prep race closer.
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Letruska, with Tyler Gaffalione riding from post 3 in a field of just five, surely will be the one to catch as the 67th Spinster unfolds. She dominated this race last year in going wire to wire as a 2-5 favorite, but it’s fair to say that, 12 months later, things have changed substantially. Letruska has won only 2 of 5 interim starts and no longer seems to be the tour-de-force she once was. Her latest start came in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign on the Aug. 27 Travers undercard at Saratoga, and resulted in a third-place finish behind new divisional leaders Malathaat and Search Results, and came with no apparent excuse.
Still, Gutierrez is a big believer in Letruska, a 6-year-old mare who has won 19 of 27 starts and earned more than $3 million.
“She has the power and condition to still come back, and we fight for the division,” Gutierrez said.
Realistically, though, Keeneland bettors will be skeptical about all that when they make Malathaat (post 1, John Velazquez) a decisive favorite. The champion 3-year-old filly of 2021 not only would seem to enjoy a favorable pace setup here with Played Hard likely to keep Letruska honest up front, but she also has shown a fondness for the Keeneland strip in winning both prior starts here – and both of those, the Ashland and Doubledogdare at the last two spring meets, were run at the short-stretch distance of 1 1/16 miles. It’s only reasonable to believe Malathaat will be difficult to deny when given a little more room to lengthen out her powerful kick.
Malathaat, trained by Todd Pletcher for Shadwell Stable, has earned superior Beyer Speed Figures in two of her last three starts, a trend to further her favoritism. The 4-year-old Curlin filly got a 106 when edged by Clairiere in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps on Belmont Stakes Day and a 105 in her come-from-behind triumph in the Personal Ensign.
As for Played Hard, her connections are thrilled to be in position to earn the Win and You’re In berth to the Distaff that’s at stake here. Played Hard earned a career-high 99 Beyer in winning the Grade 3 Locust Grove at Churchill Downs last month.
Played Hard drew just to the outside of Letruska in post 4, from where Played Hard’s jockey, Joel Rosario, can keep close tabs on her.
“I was real happy to see the way the posts came out,” said Phil Bauer, the private trainer for Played Hard’s owner, Rigney Racing. “Going long, our filly has always come out of there sharp and put herself in a good spot. I’m sure Joel will play it smart, like he did last time. We won’t let Letruska get too far away, although we just need to focus on running our race. The way the filly is going right now, she’ll be very competitive.”
Rounding out the Spinster lineup are Army Wife (post 2, Luis Saez), the 2021 Black-Eyed Susan winner looking to get back to peak form, and Princess of Cairo (post 5, Geovanni Franco), who appears overmatched.
The Spinster is carded as the last of three straight Sunday stakes, and the ninth of 10 races overall. The card ends the traditional three-day FallStars Weekend, which opened the fall meet. The Indian Summer (race 7) and Grade 2 Bourbon (race 8), turf races for 2-year-olds, directly precede the Spinster.
First post is 1 p.m. Eastern, with the Spinster set for 5:45 as part of a live CNBC telecast that starts at 5.
More perfect weather is in store for Sunday, with sunshine and a high of 65 in the local forecast.
The Spinster long has been a pinnacle of the fall meet. Doubledogdare won the first running in 1956 and has been followed by other equine luminaries such as Susan’s Girl (1973, 1975), Princess Rooney (1984), Keeper Hill (1999), and Blue Prize (2018-19).
After Sunday, Keeneland goes dark for two days before the first five-day week of the 17-day meet starts with an eight-race Wednesday card.
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