Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Letruska can stand the heat
DEL MAR, Calif. – Letruska can feel the heat, which is exactly what trainer Fausto Gutierrez hoped would happen when he took off blinkers late last year. That is when Letruska took off.
“She was running with the Teletimer. She needed to feel the competition,” Gutierrez said. “Finally, she’s a horse that likes to fight.”
The battle is on Saturday at Del Mar, and the Breeders’ Cup Distaff is the toughest yet for Letruska, a streaking frontrunner who has won six of seven this year including four Grade 1s. Shedaresthedevil, herself a two-time Grade 1 winner this season, has a score to settle.
Trainer Brad Cox acknowledges Shedaresthedevil “has been a little overshadowed by the success of Letruska. I’m excited about getting a rematch around two turns.”
Head to head, the score is 1 to 1. Shedaresthedevil defeated Letruska in a Grade 2 at Oaklawn Park; Letruska defeated Shedaresthedevil in the one-turn, Grade 1 Ogden Phipps at Belmont Park. The rubber-match Distaff may decide the Eclipse Award for outstanding older filly or mare.
However, the Distaff is not a two-horse race. Eleven entered, some with scores to settle, others meeting for the first time, all aiming to win the Grade 1, $2 million race at 1 1/8 miles. The Distaff is race 10.
Malathaat faces older after rising to the top of the 3-year-old filly division with three Grade 1 wins, including the Kentucky Oaks. Malathaat finished in front of Clairiere three times, yet if Clairiere continues to improve, she could turn the tables on her nemesis.
The Distaff also includes a 3-year-old front-runner whose influence is unmistakable. Private Mission drew the rail, therefore must use her speed. If she goes, as expected, Letruska will have company. The heat is on.
The Distaff centers on Letruska, owned by Mexican billionaire German Larrea, who is expected to attend. Letruska won six starts in Mexico City before arriving in the U.S. in late 2019 to win a Gulfstream Park race restricted to international imports. She stayed and in 2020, won four minor races, including a Grade 3. Gutierrez was laying the groundwork for 2021.
“Five is the perfect age for a horse,” Gutierrez said. “When we removed the blinkers, she has more chance to relax, and finish strong. She has the chance to see the competition.”
Letruska has never looked back. Since December, eight starts without blinkers produced seven wins over seven racetracks. Her only loss to Shedaresthedevil was in March when Letruska did not use her speed.
Irad Ortiz Jr. took over riding duties her next start, and she since won five straight, including two with jockey Jose Ortiz. Irad Ortiz rides in the Distaff, and if 17-for-22 Letruska avoids a duel with Private Mission, she can win if she turns away Shedaresthedevil.
Shedaresthedevil, trained by Cox, could claim the championship with a Distaff win. “If that was to happen, we would have three Grade 1s and a championship race,” Cox said. “Just looking at the body of work, I’d have to say we’d have a pretty good
argument.”
Cox has a pretty good filly in Shedaresthedevil, the 2020 Kentucky Oaks winner who targeted the Distaff since her final start last year, a third in the Grade 1 Spinster. “The day after, we said we’re going to kick her out and give her a break and let her catch her breath and we’re going to try to get to Del Mar [for the Distaff].”
So far, so good. Shedaresthedevil has won two Grade 1s, including one at Del Mar; her only loss was the one-turn Phipps. Florent Geroux rides Shedaresthedevil, who should tuck in behind Letruska and Private Mission. Anything short of a win by Shedaresthedevil would probably tilt the Eclipse vote toward Letruska, regardless of finish position.
Meanwhile, the 3-yearold filly score is lopsided. Malathaat has won three Grade 1s and finished in front of Clairiere all three times they met. The campaign by Malathaat was filled with emotion.
Malathaat won three starts as a 2-year-old, and was to launch her 3-year-old campaign at Gulfstream Park in late March, when Shadwell Stables owner Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al-Maktoum passed away March 24.
Shadwell instituted a 10-day mourning period in which no Shadwell horse would enter a race. Malathaat skipped the Gulfstream Park Oaks, and was redirected to the Grade 1 Ashland in April at Keeneland.
“Not only was it great she won the Ashland,” trainer Todd Pletcher said, “then four weeks later going to Kentucky and so many people from the Shadwell organization were there for the Oaks. It was very emotional for the staff and everyone that worked at Shadwell.”
Malathaat won the Oaks by a neck and was possible for the Belmont Stakes. Pletcher and Rick Nichols, Shadwell vice president and general manager, decided to keep her with fillies and, if her campaign warranted, enter the Distaff fresh.
Runner-up in the Coaching Club Oaks and winner of the Alabama, she enters the Distaff off a 77-day break. Pletcher expects her to fire. “She’s trained awesome. I’m really, really pleased with the way she’s coming into it.”
The Distaff should unfold at a legitimate pace, which is fine for Malathaat and Clairiere, whose recent Grade 1 Cotillion win and subsequent team workouts in company with older Grade 1 winner Max Player support the confidence of trainer Steve Asmussen.
“It’s hard to be good. It’s harder to stay around once you are good,” Asmussen said. Clairiere has done both, particularly since her career-best win last out.
“She has continued to get better and develop while competing at the highest level,” Asmussen said, noting she has gotten “incrementally faster.” At possible double-digit odds, Clairiere might be one of the best betting opportunities of the Breeders’ Cup.
Royal Flag romped last out in the Grade 2 Beldame around one turn. Horologist finished second to Royal Flag twice this year. Dunbar Road has finished behind most of the Distaff favorites.
Longshots include As Time Goes By, whose closing style is opposite stablemate Private Mission. Blue Stripe makes her first start in six months and first in North America. Marche Lorraine is the first Japanese runner in the Distaff.