Letruska Wires Field in Houston Ladies Classic

St. George Stables' homebred Letruska lived up to the expectations of her connections Jan. 31 when she led at every point of call to take home her third graded win in the $300,000 Houston Ladies Classic Stakes (G3) at Sam Houston Race Park. 

Sent off as the 2-5 favorite in Sunday's 1 1/16-mile test for older fillies and mares, Letruska broke well under the capable hands of jockey Jesus Castanon, who was making his first ever start aboard the 5-year-old mare. The pair soon found themselves on the lead and clicked off fractions of :23.66, :48.56, and 1:12.99 through the opening six furlongs. 

But it wasn't all smooth sailing for Letruska and Castanon. All along the backstretch the pair were pressed by Motion Emotion and jockey Miguel Mena, who whittled down Letruska's lead to a head as the pair reached the three-quarters of a mile mark. 

Unwilling to yield, Letruska battled against Motion Emotion along the backstretch and around the turn for home. At the top of the stretch, Castanon asked his mare for more and Letruska responded with a massive kick. The duo sailed away from Motion Emotion who slowly faded when challenged by a hard-running Ujjayi, last year's Houston Ladies Classic victor Lady Apple, and Figure It Out. 

Unchallenged in deep stretch, Letruska sailed across the wire 3 1/2 lengths clear of her competition. Final time for the race on a fast track was 1:45.02.

Ujjayi got up to take second, four lengths ahead of Lady Apple in third. Figure It Out, Motion Emotion, Jeweled Princess, and Shes Out Fastest completed the order of finish. 

"Watching the couple races of her winning, I got to see what she was really like," said Castanon. "I talked to her trainer, to Fausto (Gutierrez), who really guided me through the race and that really helped be out big time. I rode her with a lot of confidence and she got the job done. I never thought I was going to get caught. I knew I had plenty of horse. Once I let her out she got down to business. (After she crossed the wire) she wanted to keep going. She didn't want to pull up." 

Bred in Kentucky out of the Successful Appeal mare Magic Appeal, Letruska began her career at the Hipodromo De Las Americas in Mexico, where she made her first six starts—all of which were victories including two group 1 scores in the Clasico Esmeralda (G1) and Clasico Diamante (G1). 

Trained by Fausto Gutierrez, Letruska was moved to South Florida to run at Gulfstream Park, where she won the Copa Invitacional del Caribe Stakes in 2019 and the Added Elegance Stakes in 2020. 

Sent up to New York for the first time in her career in August of 2020, Letruska finally earned her graded laurels in the Shuvee Stakes (G3) at Saratoga Race Course by one length. Two starts later upon her return to Gulfstream, she turned in another impressive performance to close out the year, winning the Rampart Stakes (G3) in wire-to-wire fashion by 6 3/4 lengths. 

"She showed us what we wanted," said Gutierrez. "All the races of this level are very complicated. She was a big favorite but the competition is very tough. I think she finished more strong than she did out of her other races, so we are very happy. It's not easy for a horse that starts in Mexico City to come here and race. She's wonderful." 

Providing Letruska comes out of the Houston Ladies Classic well, Gutierrez said he will likely chart a course for the mare that takes her to Oaklawn Park and, in all likelihood, the April 17 Apple Blossom Handicap (G1).

"First we need to check how she comes back," said Gutierrez. "The logical thing for her to do would be to go to Oaklawn Park. We have to plan a few races, but she's ready."

Letruska holds a 12-0-1 record from 16 starts and $487,319 in earnings. 

Video: Houston Ladies Classic S. (G3)