Letruska looks strong in Houston Ladies Classic win
Letruska faced pressure throughout the middle stages of the Grade 3, $300,000 Houston Ladies Classic for 4-and-up females Sunday at Sam Houston. The 2-5 favorite did not disappoint down the stretch, breaking away from the pack to earn the victory for trainer Fausto Gutierrez.
“I just ride her with a lot of confidence,” winning jockey Jesus Castanon said. “She got the job done.”
The 5-year-old Super Saver mare broke well from the extreme outside of the seven-horse field, jumping to the front and crossing over to take inside position.
From there, she was pressed by Motion Emotion, running for trainer Steve Asmussen. The dueled for much of the race, knocking out fractions of 26.66, 48.56, 1:12.99 and 1:38.52.
Going through the far turn, Motion Emotion fell back, eventually finishing fifth. Letruska did not, powering through to earn the victory with a winning time of 1:45.02 for 1 1/16-miles
“She wanted to keep going,” Castanon said. “She didn’t want to pull up.”
Ujjayi finished second and Lady Apple completed the trifecta.
The race was the third Grade 3 victory for Letruska, a St. George Stable hombred, following the Shuvee in August at Saratoga and the Rampart at Gulfstream, her most recent race, in December.
Letruska returned $2.80 for the win.