Letruska Outgames Monomoy Girl in Apple Blossom
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SUNDAY, APRIL 18, 2021 PREAKNESS NEXT FOR CONCERT TOUR LETRUSKA OUTGAMES Gary and Mary West's 'TDN Rising Star' Concert Tour (Street MONOMOY GIRL IN Sense) will not run in the May 1 GI Kentucky Derby, said trainer Bob Baffert Saturday morning. He will instead be pointed for the APPLE BLOSSOM May 15 GI Preakness S. at Pimlico. The homebred wired a field of Santa Anita maidens by 3 1/2 lengths to earn the 'Rising Star' designation Jan. 15 and made a seamless transition to graded competition, taking the seven-furlong GII San Vicente S. Feb. 6. The bay colt made all the running en route to a 4 1/4-length defeat of stablemate Hozier (Pioneerof the Nile) in Oaklawn's GII Rebel S. Mar. 13, earning enough points to make the Derby, but he stubbed his toe when last seen in the GI Arkansas Derby Apr. 10, finishing third after leading into the final eighth of a mile. Cont. p11 IN TDN EUROPE TODAY Letruska (inside) gets the better of Monomoy Girl | Coady CLASSIC TRIALS TAKE CENTRE STAGE Classic claims will be laid down across the continent on by Alan Carasso Sunday, with key trials taking place at Newbury and St George Stables' Letruska (Super Saver) completed an ascent ParisLongchamp. Click or tap here to go straight to TDN from the humblest of humble beginnings to the highest of highs Europe. in the Thoroughbred game, fighting back willingly inside of multiple Eclipse Award winner and two-time GI Breeders' Cup Distaff winner Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) to take Saturday's $1-million GI Apple Blossom H. by half a head. Reigning 3-year- old filly champion Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) couldn't go with the top two late and settled for third. The contrarians were out in force all across social media since the Apple Blossom was drawn Tuesday, reasoning that Letruska had the speed to lead the field and was a danger to take them all the way. Turns out 'they' knew. Last year's GI Preakness S. winner Swiss Skydiver, exiting a dominant 4-year-old debut in the GI Beholder Mile S. last month, was kicked away from gate two by Robby Albarado, but the lead was short-lived, as Letruska was hustled along by Irad Ortiz, Jr. and set the pace from the two path through an opening quarter in :23.56. The rail was left open down the backstretch, allowing Swiss Skydiver to hold her spot at the fence, 3/4 of a length behind, while Monomoy Girl was sitting her usual trip in the clear, ridden by Florent Geroux like the best horse in the race. 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Letruska continued to gallop them along comfortably as they approached the second turn, and Florent Geroux slipped the odds-on favorite a bit more rein, sidling up next to Letruska nearing the stretch. Albarado was committed to riding for luck along the inside, and the gap did come at the rail, giving her a shot were she equal to the task. She was soon beaten, however, and it was Monomoy Girl who looked to have the momentum as she surged to a clear advantage a furlong and a half from home. The champ held the call into the final sixteenth of a mile, but Letruska--in receipt of six pounds--remained in for the fight down towards the inside and was up in the nick of time. "The instructions were: 'We are the speed of the race,'@ said winning trainer Fausto Gutierrez, who also conditioned Mexican imports Kukulkan (Mex) (Point Determined) and Jala Jala (Mex) (Point Determined). AShe started a little bit slow in the last races. I told Irad [Ortiz, Jr.], 'No matter if this happens, you try to move and go in front and set the pace and make the others think: What do you have to do?'@ Coady He continued, AWhen [Monomoy Girl] took the lead and I saw Swiss Skydiver start to go a little bit back, in my mind, I thought second is very good. We finished close. She started to come back and come back. I didn't see the picture very clearly. I went carefully to check the replay and I thought, 'Oops, we won.' For me, this is incredible because I come from a small racetrack in Mexico City. This horse started her career there. We had the confidence to send her here (United States) and she started to improve, improve and improve.@ A perfect six-for-six in Mexico, Letuska won the restricted Copa del Caribe in her U.S. debut in December 2019 and made Gulfstream's Added Elegance S. her first win at stakes level last June. A weakening fifth in the GI Ballerina S. at Saratoga Aug. 8, she was given an aggressive ride by Joel Rosario and held on for TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 4 OF 16 • THETDN.COM SUNDAY • APRIL 18, 2021 a one-length success in the GIII Shuvee S. Aug. 30, but was no $200,000. better than fourth after setting a suicidal pace in the GII Beldame S. at Belmont Oct. 4. Letruska shed the blinkers and romped in the GIII Rampart S. in Hallandale Dec. 12, was the easy winner of the GIII Houston Ladies' Classic Jan. 31 and 3--Swiss Skydiver, 122, f, 4, by Daredevil missed by a head to last year's GI Kentucky Oaks heroine 1st Dam: Expo Gold, by Johannesburg Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil) in this track's GII Azeri S. Mar. 13. 2nd Dam: Clouds of Gold, by Strike the Gold 3rd Dam: Cloudy Colors, by Personal Flag Pedigree Notes: ($35,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP). O-Peter J. Callahan; B-WinStar Farm, Letruska, purchased in utero for $100,000 at KEENOV in 2015, LLC (KY); T-Kenneth G. McPeek. $100,000. is the fifth Grade I winner for the expatriated Super Saver and is one of three black-type performers for her Grade II-placed dam, a full-sister to Grade I winner J P's Gusto and a half-sister to Kid Margins: NO, 6HF, 1 1/4. Odds: 3.40, 0.70, 1.90. Majic (Lemon Drop Kid), the dam of two-time Sovereign Award Also Ran: Getridofwhatailesu, Another Broad, Chance to Shine. winner and GSW Miss Mischief (Into Mischief) and MSP Mind Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Out (Tapit). Letruska's third dam produced Pacific Spell Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by (Langfuhr), whose daughter Proud Spell (Proud Citizen) won the TVG. 2008 GI Kentucky Oaks en route to an Eclipse Award; SW No Distortion (Distorted Humor); GSP Proud Pearl (Proud Citizen); and SP Really Proud (Kitten's Joy). Magic Appeal is the dam of the 2-year-old colt Ocotzingo (Hard Spun), a yearling colt by Concert Tour Out of Derby cont. from p1 Arrogate and is due to Malibu Moon for 2021. AHe's immature and we were disappointed that he didn't win the Arkansas Derby,@ said Baffert. AI was really expecting an Saturday, Oaklawn Park outstanding performance and he didn't give it. Physically, he's APPLE BLOSSOM H.-GI, $1,000,000, Oaklawn, 4-17, 4yo/up, fine, but he's too immature to come back in two weeks [from f/m, 1 1/16m, 1:43.14, ft. Saturday], so we're going to wait for the Preakness.@ 1--LETRUSKA, 118, m, 5, by Super Saver Baffert's lone Derby entrant is now the blue-collar Medina 1st Dam: Magic Appeal (GSP), by Successful Appeal Spirit (Protonico), winner of the GIII Robert B.