Ruis, after Union Strike's victory, goes back to business
DEL MAR, Calif. - There were no rowdy celebrations Saturday evening after Union Strike won the $300,690 Del Mar Debutante to give trainer Shelbe Ruis her first Grade 1 victory.
Instead, it was straight home in advance of an early start Sunday. Even Sunday, as Ruis handled business for her 21-horse stable, the magnitude of the Debutante victory proved elusive.
“It’s still sinking in,” she said. “I can’t believe it. I knew she was a good horse.”
There were a few solid reminders, notably the winnings from a $200 win bet placed by a confident Ruis. Union Strike ($17.40) gave Ruis her first stakes win in the Debutante, the meeting’s top race for 2-year-old fillies.
Ruis, who turns 26 on Wednesday, trains Union Strike for her parents, Mick and Wendy. Union Strike was bought for $375,000 at the Ocala Breeders’ Sale of 2-year-olds in-training in April, the same month Ruis began training, primarily for her parents. She had her first starter in April and first winner at Santa Anita in May. Union Strike was her fourth winner.
Union Strike was well regarded by Ruis before her debut, a second to American Cleopatra in a maiden race July 31, the filly’s only start.
Ridden by Martin Garcia, Union Strike was sixth on the backstretch in the field of seven, but closed well under urging on the turn to reach contention in the stretch. She took the lead in the final sixteenth and won by 2 1/4 lengths.
One of the keys to the win was a clean start. Ruis said she had worked with Union Strike through August to improve her gate manners after a slow start in the July 31 race.
“She broke well. He got her to relax and I almost thought she was too far back,” Ruis said. “When I saw her making her run, I thought she could make up a lot of ground.”
The win puts Union Strike at the fore of the California 2-year-old filly division in advance of the Santa Anita autumn meeting. There are two Grade 1 races for 2-year-old fillies at that meeting: the $300,000 Chandelier Stakes at 1 1/16 miles Oct. 1, and the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies on Nov. 5.
Union Strike, who has earned $192,600, has a running style that Ruis says will be adaptable to longer races.
“She’s does everything nice,” she said. “If you want her to relax, she can relax. She can go to the lead. She’ll be what you want her to be.”
Several runners from the Debutante are likely for the Chandelier Stakes.
American Cleopatra, the 8-5 favorite, should thrive in a longer race. She is a full sister to American Pharoah, the 2015 Horse of the Year. Her loss in the Debutante surprised trainer Bob Baffert.
“Turning for home, I thought she’d kick it in gear and she didn’t,” Baffert said on Sunday morning.
American Cleopatra finished a nose in front of Champagne Room, who won the Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs Aug. 6 as a maiden. Trainer Peter Eurton said Champagne Room was upset in the gate before the Debutante.
“I don’t think it was her best run,” Eurton said. “She was bad in the gate. The winner ran huge.”
Morganite, who finished sixth, will be thoroughly examined after fading from the front in the stretch under jockey Victor Espinoza.
“Victor said she just stopped,” trainer John Sadler said. “I don’t have an answer at this point. We want to look over her and figure it out.”