ftboa.com • Monday • April 19, 2021 FEC/FTBOA PUBLICATION FLORIDA’SDAILYRACINGDIGEST In This Issue: Fast Colts at Spring Sale’s Fifth Under Tack Session Friday Kentucky Derby Works Florida-bred Gulfstream Park Winners Say The Word Speaks Volumes in Elkhorn Victory Laki Lio Rockets to Victory in Gulfstream Juvenile Racing Season Opener Constantia Rallies to Upset Mizdirection Hard Love All Heart in Woodhaven Gulfstream Park Charts Tampa Bay Downs Charts Florida Stallion Progeny List Letruska (inside)/COADY PHOTO Florida Breeders’ List Letruska Upsets Champions Wire to Wire Business Place in Apple Blossom Handicap Featured Advertisers Covert Appraisal Services BY OAKLAWN PRESS OFFICE ______ the 3-5 favorite, and Swiss Skydiver, last year’s Eclipse Award-winning champion 3- Florida Department of Agriculture HOT SPRINGS, AR—All eyes were on the year-old filly and winner of the Grade 1 Fred Burton Paving two American champions Monomoy Girl Preakness as the second choice at 9-5. FTBOA and Swiss Skydiver, but it was the Ridden by four-time Eclipse Award Journeyman Stud Mexican champion Letruska who earned a champion jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., Letruska Ocala Breeders’ Feed & Supply hard-fought victory in Saturday’s $1 mil- broke a bit awkwardly but quickly recov- Ocala Stud lion Apple Blossom Handicap (Grade 1). ered to grab the lead into the clubhouse Peterson Smith The Apple Blossom featured a field of turn. She led by a length ahead of Swiss RiceHorse Stables six fillies and mares, 4-years-old and older Skydiver to her inside through opening Seminole Feed who went a mile-and-one-sixteenth with fractions of :23.56 for the first quarter- the Brad Cox-trained multiple Eclipse mile and the half in :47.96, while also Showcase Properties Award-winning champion Monomoy Girl, Six K’s Training & Sales See APPLE BLOSSOM on page 3 Back to Top Page 3 Apple Blossom Continued from COVER being tracked from her outside by Monomoy Girl, who was a half- length farther back during most of the first four furlongs. Monomoy Girl launched her two-wide assault on Letruska around the far turn and those two turned for home together with Swiss Skydiver unable to keep pace on rail. As the field entered the stretch, Monomoy Girl grabbed a nar- row lead with apparent ease before Letruska fought back along the rail. Those two went at each other down the stretch before Letruska fought for a head advantage inside the final sixteenth. Monomoy Girl came at her again but came up a nose short at the wire in the final time of 1:43.14 on the fast track. Swiss Skydiver finished six-and-a-half lengths back in third fol- lowed by Getridofwhatailesu, Another Broad and Chance to Shine. “I go the right trip,” Ortiz said. “She likes to be on the lead. I let her go, let her make the lead. She relaxed and I was able to save something for the end. She responded really well.” Jockey Florent Geroux, who rode Monomoy Girl offered no excuses other than a costly habit last year champion older dirt female. “Great trip. Just made the lead, she just started wandering around at the end. Done that pretty much all her career. It’s too bad we got caught today,” Geroux said. Fausto Gutierrez/COADY PHOTO Trainer Fausto Gutierrez said Ortiz executed the strategy he had set for Letruska perfectly. “I told Irad [Ortiz], ‘No matter if [she breaks slow], you try to move and go in front and set the pace. [Ortiz] has magical hands. He does this all the time. When [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. [Letruska] started to come back and come back. I [then] went carefully to check the replay and I thought, ‘Oops, we won.’ “For me, this is incredible because I come from a small race- track in Mexico City. This horse started her career there. We had the confidence to [bring her to the United States] and she started to improve, improve and improve. She’s run at different tracks. She’s run at Houston, Saratoga, Gulfstream. She’s a very tough horse, but this is the best result she’s had in her career.” Letruska, who was coming off a narrow loss to Shedaresthedevil in the March 13 Azeri Stakes (G2) at Oaklawn, improved her career record to 13 wins from 18 starts and has now earned $1,157,319 for Andrew Moore’s St. George Stable LLC of Mexico City and trainer Fausto Gutierrez. She returned $8.80 as the 3-1 third choice. Bred in Kentucky by her owner, Letruska is by Super Saver out of Magic Appeal, by the Florida-bred sire Successful Appeal. She started her career with six straight wins in Mexico City at the Hipodromo De Las Americas where she won the Classico Esmeralda (Grade 1-Mex) and the Clasico Dimante (Grade 1- Mex) in the summer of 2019. In December of that year, Gutierrez and Moore brought her to Gulfstream Park for the Copa Invitacional del Caribe Stakes during the Classico International See APPLE BLOSSOM on page 5 Back to Top Back to Top Page 5 Apple Blossom page 3 Continued from del Caribe series which began in 1966 but has been hosted by the Hallandale Beach, Fla., track each year since 2017. She won the $85,000 Copa Invitacional del Caribe by four-and- a-quarter lengths then finished last of 13 in the Tropical Park Oaks three weeks later at Gulfstream. She bounced back strong to win a second condition, $50,000 optional claiming race by two-and-a- quarter lengths at Oaklawn in April of 2020 and the $60,000 Added Elegance Stakes two starts later back at Gulfstream in June of last year. She would go on to win the Grade 3 Shuvee at Saratoga in August, the Grade 3 Rampart on Dec. 12 at Gulfstream and the Grade 3 Houston Ladies Classic at Sam Houston on Jan. 31 before the Azeri. – Brock Sheridan contributed to this story Silver State Wins Fifth Straight in Oaklawn Handicap Winchell Racing LLC and Willis Horton Racing LLC’s Silver State remained a perfect three-for-three at Oaklawn this year, while extending his win streak to five with a victory in Saturday’s Monomoy Girl (outside in orange colors), Letruska (center, red shadow roll), Swiss Skydiver (inside, white shadow roll)/COADY PHOTO $1 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2). The winner began to move up on the early leaders rounding the The Oaklawn Handicap featured a field of seven 4-year-olds turn for home, came four wide into the stretch and proved best and older going a mile-and-one-eighth on the main track. late, winning by a half-length over Fearless. California invader Silver State, ridden by leading rider Ricardo Santana Jr., was Express Train, the 9-5 favorite, was third. The final time for mile- unhurried early, racing near the back of the field, as Florida-bred and-one-eighth over a fast track was 1:49.56. Warrior’s Charge led through quarter-mile fractions of :22.73 and They were followed by Owendale, Warrior’s Charge, Silver :47.06 and 1:11.67 with a length-and-a-half lead on Express Train in second. See APPLE BLOSSOM on page 9 Back to Top Back to Top Page 7 Not This Time, Florida-bred Valiant Minister Colts Fastest at Spring Sale’s Fifth Under Tack Session Friday BY OBS PRESS OFFICE ______________________________ OCALA, FL—Colts by Not This Time and Florida-based sire Valiant Minister breezed a quarter-mile in :20.60 to share honors for the fastest work at the distance at the fifth session of the under tack show for Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s 2021 Spring Sale of Two Year Olds in Training. Hip 925, consigned by Pick View LLC as an agent is a bay colt by Not This Time out of stakes-winner In a Jif, by Saintly Look, from the family of graded stakes-winner Chin High. Hip 996, a gray or roan Florida-bred colt from the first crop of Bridlewood Farm stallion Valiant Minister consigned by Steven Venosa’s S G V Thoroughbreds LLC as an agent is out of La Nonna, by Unbridled’s Song, from the family of champion Apelia. She was bred by Baoma Corp Five horses worked a quarter-mile in :21 flat. Hip 840, a dark bay or brown colt by Medaglia d’Oro con- signed by Eddie Woods as an agent is a half-brother to stakes- SERITA HULT PHOTO placed Tapped out of graded stakes-winner Gemswick Park, by Speightstown. as an agent is out of La Parcela, by El Corredor, a half-sister to Hip 952, consigned by Pick View LLC as an agent is a dark graded stakes-placed, stakes-winner Aheadbyacentury and stakes- bay or brown filly by Frosted out of Jeanne’s Speight, by placed Ms Wicked and a full sister stakes-placed Awfully Sinful. Speightstown, a full sister to stakes-winner Going to Kukaro. Hip 1009, a dark bay or brown colt by Practical Joke consigned Hip 998, a bay filly by Uncaptured consigned by Victory Stable See OBS UNDER TACK on page 9 Back to Top Back to Top Page 9 OBS Under Tack page 7 Continued from placed Tizanillusion out of graded stakes-placed Hermione’s by Eddie Woods as an agent is a half-brother to graded stakes- Magic, by Forest Wildcat.