Letruska

Five-time Grade I winner and 2021 Eclipse Champion Older Dirt Female Letruska (Super Saver) produced her first foal, a filly by Curlin, on Feb. 4 at Terrazas Thoroughbreds in Lexington, KY. Farm owner Eduardo Terrazas reported that the foaling was normal and that as the leggy filly has flourished in her first few weeks of life, she seems to have adopted her sire's physical and her dam's personality. "Her mama is a very secure type of mare, very sure of herself, and the baby definitely shows that," he said. "Ever...

MGISW Letruska (Super Saver) will be covered by Curlin in 2023, the two-time Horse of the Year who stands at Hill 'n' Dale Farms in Paris, Kentucky, reported DRF en Español on Thursday. "The plan is for Letruska to be shipped to Hill n' Dale Farm next month or early March where she will visit Curlin," the mare's former trainer Fausto Gutierrez said. "I am super happy with this choice. I have always been a big fan of Curlin as a runner, and now of course, as a stallion." Now...

With two graded events for distaffers and four for juveniles, including including four Breeders' Cup qualifiers, Sunday is basically Saturday part two from coast-to-coast. The day's main event is the GI Juddmonte Spinster S. at Keeneland, a "Win and You're In" event, where champions Malathaat (Curlin) and Letruska (Super Saver) face off yet again. 'TDN Rising Star' Malathaat looks to make amends for a solid third in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Distaff and she enters off a win in Saratoga's GI Personal Ensign S. Aug. 27. Letruska, who won...

The GI Runhappy Travers S. is one of the summer's most highly anticipated events and for the past several years it has been the centerpiece of a Super Saturday card at Saratoga that serves as a Breeders' Cup preview. The Travers is one of five star-studded Grade Is on the 14-race card, which also includes the GII Ballston Spa S. for turf fillies. Intriguing storylines abound in this year's eight-horse renewal of the summer centerpiece for sophomore colts, which is topped by GII Jim Dandy S. winner Epicenter (Not This...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY - By trainer Fausto Gutierrez's calculation, a clunker every once in a while surely does not tarnish champion Letruska (Super Saver)'s glittering string of accomplishments. When last seen in competition, the 6-year-old mare was running last as the 3-5 favorite in the GI Ogden Phipps S. June 11 at Belmont Park. As usual, she set the pace, but on that afternoon could not finish and was passed by the four others in the field. Gutierrez said that Letruska wasn't herself that afternoon, possibly a nervous reaction to...

Saturday's GI Ogden Phipps S. may have only attracted five horses, but it was the "right" five with champions Malathaat (Curlin) and Letruska (Super Saver), Grade I winners Clairiere (Curlin) and Search Results (Flatter) and MGSW Bonny South (Munnings). After a knock down, drag out fight on the front end between Letruska and Search Results, it was left to the two Stonestreet Stables-bred fillies, Clairiere and Malathaat, to decide it in the lane. In the end, it was Clairiere, carrying her breeders' famed gold and burgundy silks, who got her...

ELMONT, NY - There will be a capped crowd of 50,000 on hand for Saturday's blockbuster GI Belmont Stakes program. Nobody will have a better seat in the house all day than jockey Flavien Prat. The 29-year-old Frenchman will be aboard 2-1 morning-line favorite 'TDN Rising Star' We the People (Constitution) in the final leg of the Triple Crown. He will also pilot unbeaten sensation and fellow 'Rising Star' Flightline (Tapit) in the prestigious GI Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan H. Both will exit from post one. WinStar Farm, Bobby Flay,...

ELMONT, NY - With the rising sun making its way through cloudy skies, GI Belmont S. longshot Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) began to get into his gallop on the clubhouse turn on a steamy Wednesday morning at beautiful Belmont Park. Sporting plenty of trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr.'s flashy yellow-and-blue stable colors, the GI Preakness S. fifth-place finisher continued to catch the eye upon return while jogging along the outer rail with his neck arched. He stood briefly by the gap and soaked up plenty of attention from a handful of photographers as...

In advance of the April Horses of Racing Age sale, the writers ventured to Keeneland this week for in-person chats with Keeneland's Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy and Grovendale Sales' Chance Timm. Trainer Michael Stidham was also featured on the TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland. The upcoming sale features a number of new concepts, including dropping a requirement that horses in the sale be present at Keeneland. The sale will also take place on a racing day, after the conclusion of the card on Friday, the last day...

There was history being made this past week and there is history yet to be made. Break out your encyclopedias, your preferred tomes of ancient references, any long-dusty papers from years past, and enjoy the show. Who run the world? Girls. Letruska joined elite, and truly rarified air with her successful defense of her GI Apple Blossom title over another Apple Blossom winner in Ce Ce. Only three other mares have accomplished the feat of multiple wins in Oaklawn's signature event for dirt distaffers dating back to 1973, and their...

After the focus on points races for Derby and Oaks contenders taking up headlines over recent weekends, the distaff division gets a match up worthy of the front page as 2021 Eclipse champions Letruska (Super Saver) and Ce Ce (Elusive Quality) meet for the first time in Oaklawn's GI Apple Blossom H. Both are previous winners of the Hot Springs signature race, as the Fausto Gutierrez-trained Letruksa won the Apple Blossom in 2021 and the Mike McCarthy-conditioned Ce Ce took the 2020 edition. The two have otherwise taken divergent paths,...

Recipients of the 2021 KTOB Kentucky-Bred Champion awards were voted on by the full membership of KTA/KTOB and revealed Wednesday. In existence since 1967 and 1983, respectively, the KTOB and KTA direct their efforts toward promoting and protecting the Thoroughbred industry by maintaining the highest levels of racing, breeding and training standards in the Commonwealth. Here are the 2021 Kentucky-Bred Champions and their breeders: • Broodmare of the Year: Indian Miss (Owner: OXO Equine LLC) • Horse of the Year, Three-Year-Old Male: Essential Quality (Godolphin) • Two-Year-Old Male: Corniche (Bart...