Letruska Fends Off Ce Ce, Clairiere in Apple Blossom

St. George Stable's Letruska  did much more than win a second Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) April 23 at Oaklawn Park.

The 6-year-old homebred mare added yet another dazzling line to a resume that perhaps could earn her inclusion in racing's Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., when her spectacular career finally comes to an end.

"We need to enjoy and celebrate her, because she's one of the great ones in the history of the races," trainer Fausto Gutierrez said.

While the daughter of Super Saver   had to work hard under jockey Jose Ortiz to hold off a determined stretch bid from Clairiere  by 1 1/4 lengths, her performance added to some already special numbers.

In winning for the 19th time in 25 career starts, Letruska posted her seventh grade 1 win in the $980,000 race while pushing her career earnings to $2,948,529 and becoming just the fourth distaff star to win the rich and prestigious Apple Blossom for a second time.

"Letruska is a special athlete," Gutierrez said. "My work is not that difficult. She does the rest."

Though only a small field of five gathered for the 1 1/16-mile Apple Blossom it was super-sized with quality. 

A year ago, Letruska was the third-choice in the Apple Blossom behind two champions in Monomoy Girl , who was second by a nose to Gutierrez's mare, and Swiss Skydiver .

This time, Letruska ($3.80), the champion older dirt female of 2021, was one of two reigning champions in the group and the 4-5 favorite. Ce Ce , last year's champion female sprinter, was also on hand, as were grade 1 winners Clairiere and Maracuja .

They tried, but they could not pass Letruska, who took the lead at the start and never looked back.

"To win the Apple Blossom twice is incredible," Gutierrez said. "This was a handicap and now we're giving weight, you have to remember that."

The start of Saturday's race was more eventful than most of the race as Letruska, from post two, broke out as the gates opened. Ortiz quickly straightened her, but Clairiere, off a step slowly to her outside, came under a brief steady by her jockey, Joel Rosario. Clairiere was of five early.

From there, it was a virtuoso performance by Letruska, the 124-pound highweight who was making her second 2022 after winning the Feb. 26 Royal Delta Stakes (G3). She led by 1 1/2 lengths after an opening quarter-mile in :23.77 and extended the margin to 2 1/2 lengths over 63-1 longshot Miss Imperial , the only other regular speed horse in the field, after a half-mile in :47.26. 

As Miss Imperial faded to last, Ce Ce moved up from third to take a run at the leader on the turn. Though she managed to move within a half-length of Letruska at the eighth pole, owner Bo Hirsch's homebred daughter of Elusive Quality  could not keep pace in the final furlong.

In the end, Stonestreet Stables' homebred Clairiere was the danger in the final yards. While she surged past Ce Ce into second, she fell just over a length shy of Letruska as the winner crossed the wire in 1:42.22.

"I used my weapon. I knew Clairiere would be coming late so I used my speed and I was able to hold her off. I felt my filly was in a very nice rhythm. I knew with the way she running the last eighth it would take a super horse to go by her," Ortiz said. "I knew they were there, but when I felt her switch to the left lead I felt she gave me another gear and when I looked, I saw the other filly (Clairiere) there, but I never thought they were going to go by."

Clairiere, a daughter of Curlin   who captured the 2021 Cotillion Stakes (G1), finished a half-length in front of Ce Ce in taking runner-up honors.

The 2-3 finishers carried 121 pounds.

"It looked (like) the horse that took the lead (Letruska) was the horse to beat," said Joel Rosario, who rode Clairiere. "She (Clairiere) ran really well, too. Tried really nicely. A little more speed will be better for us, but she ran well."

Clairiere finished in front of Letruska in their last meeting when fourth in the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) while Letruska faded to 10th after chasing a brutal pace.

The loss in the Distaff was marked the only time in her last 11 starts that Letruska finished worse than second.

Ce Ce, trained by Michael McCarthy, was 17 1/2 lengths clear of fourth-place Maracuja .

Letruska, who started her career in Mexico, is the fifth of 10 foals from the Successful Appeal mare Magic Appeal  and a half sister to the stakes winner Trigger Warning( Candy Ride  ). Magic Appeal has produced seven winners and has a 2-year-old Arrogate colt named Prudencio and a yearling filly by Malibu Moon .

Video: Apple Blossom H. (G1)