Letruska Tops Field of Graded Winners in Fleur de Lis

Dual grade 1 winner Letruska  tops a field of six older fillies and mares—all graded stakes winners—in the $300,000 Fleur de Lis Stakes (G2) June 26 at Churchill Downs. The 5-year-old Super Saver   mare will aim for her third consecutive win after three weeks' rest from the Ogden Phipps Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park.

"She's in a good condition to run," trainer Fausto Gutierrez said. "This is a very important race. We're going step by step for now and this is the next race we had in mind. I know it's just 21 days from the (Ogden Phipps). When a horse wants to run and they're ready to run, we have to let them run. She's at Keeneland training and we're looking forward to getting her to Churchill."

The 1 1/8-mile Fleur de Lis is part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series, offering the winner a berth in the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) Nov. 6 at Del Mar.

St. George Stable's Letruska already picked up a Distaff berth when taking the Ogden Phipps June 5. She led gate to wire and drew off to win the 1 1/16-mile race by 2 3/4 lengths, defeating the Brad Cox-trained duo of Bonny South  and Shedaresthedevil , the latter of which beat Letruska by a head in the Azeri Stakes (G2) March 13 at Oaklawn Park. 

The Azeri has been Letruska's only loss this year. Away poorly in that contest, she sat off the pace set by Shedaresthedevil and just fell short of reaching that rival. She showed her more established style in her seasonal debut, the Houston Ladies Classic (G3) Jan. 31 at Sam Houston Race Park, and used the same tactics when defeating champion Monomoy Girl , another Cox trainee, in the Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) April 17 at Oaklawn.

Jose Ortiz rode Letruska for the first time in the Ogden Phipps and retains the mount from the outside post.

Cox will take another shot at Letruska, this time with Kueber Racing, Barlar, Madaket Stables, and Little Red Feather Racing's Vault . The 5-year-old Jump Start  mare has also won her last two starts. She took a 1 1/16-mile allowance March 27 at Oaklawn and stretches back out after rallying to win the one-mile Ruffian Stakes (G2) May 2 at Belmont.

Letruska will carry the high weight of 124 pounds, Vault will carry 121, and the rest of the field has been assigned 119.

Three Chimneys Farm and Walking L Thoroughbreds' Envoutante  is 3-for-4 at Churchill for trainer Kenny McPeek. Most recently she sat in second before pulling away by 4 1/4 lengths in the local Shawnee Stakes May 29. Last fall she led throughout in the Falls City Stakes (G2), run over the same course and distance as the Fleur de Lis, and romped by six lengths. Before the Shawnee, the 4-year-old Uncle Mo   filly was fourth in the Azeri and second a length behind Shedaresthedevil in the La Troienne Stakes Presented by Twinspires.com (G1) April 30 at Churchill. 

Robert and Lawana Low's Spice Is Nice  scored at 1 1/8 miles in the Allaire DuPont Distaff Match Series Stakes (G3) May 14 at Pimlico Race Course, dueling early and taking over after the first half-mile. That followed an allowance optional claiming score to open the year at Keeneland for trainer Todd Pletcher. She is cross entered in Saturday's $250,000 Lady Jacqueline Stakes at Thistledown.

Alpha Delta Stables' Point of Honor  will make her first start as a 5-year-old and her first with trainer Shug McGaughey. Godolphin's Antoinette , winner of Gulfstream Park's The Very One Stakes (G3T) on turf two starts back for trainer Bill Mott, completes the field. 

Entries: Fleur de Lis S. (G2)

Churchill Downs, Saturday, June 26, 2021, Race 5

• Grade II
• 1 1/8m
• Dirt
• $300,000
• 4 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 2:45 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Point of Honor (KY)	Javier Castellano	119	Claude R. McGaughey III	6/1
2	2Antoinette (KY)	Florent Geroux	119	William I. Mott	20/1
3	3Vault (PA)	Tyler Gaffalione	121	Brad H. Cox	10/1
4	4Envoutante (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	119	Kenneth G. McPeek	2/1
5	5Spice Is Nice (KY)	John R. Velazquez	119	Todd A. Pletcher	8/1
6	6Letruska (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	124	Fausto Gutierrez	4/5