Letruska

Maracuja To Miss Azeri

Trainer Rob Atras reports that GI CCA Oaks upsetter Maracuja (Honor Code) is training nicely at Oaklawn Park, but will miss an intended engagement in next Saturday's GII Azeri S. and will likely be trained up to an appearance against the likes of Eclipse Award winner Letruska (Super Saver) in the GI Apple Blossom H. Apr. 23. "She's doing really well but we had setbacks with how the weather has gone and we're not anticipating making the Azeri," Atras told the New York Racing Association notes team. "We've played it...

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Letruska Easy Winner in Royal Delta

When last seen at the races as the 17-10 favorite in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff in early November, Letruska (Super Saver) had absolutely nothing go her way, as she attended a suicidal pace and unsurprisingly folded, beating just one rival home. Having since been rewarded with the Eclipse Award for her total body of work in 2021, the St. George homebred returned to action in Saturday's GIII Royal Delta S. and made very light work of five grossly overmatched rivals. Kicked straight into the lead by Jose Ortiz,...

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Letruska Honored As Top Older Dirt Female

Former Mexican superstar Letruska (Super Saver) won six of eight last year, including a five-race winning skein that started with a score over past Eclipse winners Monomoy Girl and Swiss Skydiver and culminated in the GI Juddmonte Spinster S. Last seen contributing to a meltdown pace in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff, the St. George Stable homebred is being geared up for a 6-year-old season by trainer Fausto Gutierrez. She was named champion older dirt female Thursday. 

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Eclipse Award Finalists Announced

Knicks Go (Paynter) was one of a dozen winners at the 2021 Breeders' Cup meeting at Del Mar in early November to be named Eclipse Award finalists, as the candidates in 11 equine and five human categories were announced Saturday morning on TVG. While the finalists for 2021 were not revealed--they will be announced at the conclusion of the Eclipse Award ceremony at Santa Anita Feb. 10--it is a fait accompli that Knicks Go will take home the evening's most coveted award. The grey, winner of the 2020 GI Breeders'...

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Letruska to Make '22 Debut in Royal Delta

Letruska (Super Saver), who will be named 2021's champion older mare next month, will kick off her 6-year-old campaign in the Feb. 26 GIII Royal Delta S. at Gulfstream, reports trainer Fausto Gutierrez. The race will serve as a prep for the Apr. 23 GI Apple Blossom H. at Oaklawn. The winner of last year's Apple Blossom, Letruska will attempt to become the first horse to win back-to-back runnings of that event since Azeri, who won it in 2002, 2003 and 2004. Letruska is currently stabled at Palm Meadows. "The...

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FanDuel Moment of the Year Voting Open

Eleven significant events from the last 12 months of Thoroughbred racing in North America are up for the 2021 FanDuel Racing NTRA Moment of the Year, a distinction determined by fan voting and recognized at the Eclipse Awards. Voting is now open on the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) website, NTRA.com, and via Twitter, where every retweet or use of the official hashtag for the moments as presented on the @NTRA account will be counted as one vote. Votes for the poll must be submitted by Feb. 2 at 11:59...

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Breeders' Cup Weekend is Here!

DEL MAR, CA - Sunny skies, ideal conditions and two days of world-class Thoroughbred racing with a spectacular backdrop in Southern California. Welcome to the 38th Breeders' Cup World Championships at Del Mar! The stunning seaside track plays Breeders' Cup host for the second time and first since 2017. 'Future Stars Friday' includes a highly anticipated clash of unbeaten 'TDN Rising Stars' Jack Christopher (Munnings) and $1.5-million OBS April topper Corniche (Quality Road) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Fellow 'Rising Star' Echo Zulu (Gun Runner) will also put her...

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Wesley Ward Joins Writers' Room Breeders' Cup Preview Show

The TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland produced its third annual comprehensive Breeders' Cup preview show Wednesday, analyzing and handicapping all 14 World Championships races in depth, and welcomed trainer Wesley Ward later as the Green Group Guest of the Week to discuss his five combined Breeders' Cup starters in the GI Turf Sprint and GII Juvenile Turf Sprint and future goals for his barn. Asked whether he's happy with the niche he's carved out for himself as mainly an elite 2-year-old and turf sprint trainer or if he has...

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Breeders' Cup Report: Stars Emerge Through the Del Mar Fog

DEL MAR, CA - With trainer Peter Miller looking on--and sporting a hoodie from his two-win performance at the 2018 Championships at Churchill Downs--streaking GI Breeders' Cup Mile contender Mo Forza (Uncle Mo) took a stroll through the Del Mar paddock on a brisk and cloudy Wednesday morning just before 7 a.m. Del Mar President and General Manager Joe Harper made his way to the well-attended WinStar and Fasig-Tipton Trackside Breakfast Marquee as GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies co-second choice Juju's Map (Liam's Map) galloped strongly with her neck arched....

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From Turf Writer to Trainer: Gutierrez Writes His Own Story

DEL MAR, CA--It's fair to say that former turf writer Fausto Gutierrez does not fit the mold of a typical trainer at the Breeders' Cup World Championships. While the background in media sets the outgoing 54-year-old Gutierrez apart, he is a veteran horseman with loads of experience and massive success in Mexico. His first starter in the Breeders' Cup is Letruska (Super Saver), the 5-year-old mare who is the 8-5 favorite on the morning line in the $2-million Distaff. Gutierrez has developed the Kentucky-bred for St George Stable LLC, owned...

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Cox Duo Top Two on Breeders' Cup Classic Morning Line

DEL MAR, CA - Leading older horse Knicks Go (Paynter) received the nod at 5-2 on the morning-line for Saturday's $6-million GI Breeders' Cup Classic as a field of nine was drawn during Monday's Rood & Riddle Breeders' Cup Post-Position Draw held in the Del Mar paddock. The speedy 2021 GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. and GI Whitney S. winner, hero of last term's GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland, will be on the engine from post five in this first attempt at the 1 1/4-mile Classic distance....

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Breeders' Cup Breeze Report: Letruska Hooks Company at Del Mar

St. George Stable's Letruska (Super Saver), the expected favorite for the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff next week, had a somewhat eventful final breeze at Del Mar Saturday. Scheduled to work a solo five-eighths, the four-time Grade I winner broke off behind 2-year-old filly Brandon'smylawyer (Astern {Aus}), and hooked that runner near the half-mile pole. The other filly continued on with Letruska, and finished her half-mile work several lengths to the good of Letruska, who was credited with five furlongs in 1:01.20 (2/7) (Click for video). Brandon'smylawyer, a $340,000 OBS April...

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