Letruska Adds Elegance to Impressive Record
Sunday, June 28, 2020
    HALLANDALE BEACH -Trainer Fausto Gutierrez had penciled in the $250,000, Gr. I Madison at Keeneland for Letruska’s next start before calling an audible and opting for a less ambitious spot in yesterday’s $60,000 Added Elegance at Gulfstream Park.

    The 4-year-old daughter Super Saver found the one-mile overnight stakes to her liking, running six other fillies and mares off their feet with a dazzling front-running victory under Emisael Jaramillo.

    “Check the fractions she ran today. With these fractions she can kill any race,” said Gutierrez, whose trainee captured her ninth victory in 11 career starts. “She’s a really good horse.”

    After jumping out of the gate alertly, Letruska (who paid $7) set fractions of :23.29 and :44.96 seconds for the first half-mile. While under a strong hold she went six furlongs in 1:08.20 and seven furlongs in 1:21.61 on her way to a final clocking of 1:35.46 and a 2 ½-length victory.

    Multiple graded stakes-placed Nonna Madeline, the 6-5 favorite ridden by Edgard Zayas, chased Letruska throughout the mile but could get no closer than the margin at the finish. Bella Ciao closed to finish third, eight lengths farther back.

    Letruska had run over Gulfstream’s main track once previously, beating older males in the Copa Invitacional del Caribe by 4 ½ lengths on the Dec. 8 Clasico Internacional del Caribe program to remain undefeated in seven career starts, the first six coming in Mexico. The St. George Stables’ homebred sustained her first loss in her turf debut when she finished off the board in the Dec. 28 Tropical Park Oaks. She rebounded to remain undefeated on dirt with a 2 ¼-length front-running victory over Nonna Madeline in an April 16 allowance race at Oaklawn Park. Two weeks later, she set a pressured pace before finishing third behind graded stakes-winner Blamed to sustain her first career loss on dirt in another allowance at Oaklawn Park.

    Saturday, Letruska bounced back in eye-catching fashion to earn a shot at stronger competition next time out. “We’ll have to think about it,” Gutierrez said. “Today, she showed the class that she has.
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