Letruska to start in Saturday's Fleur de Lis; Jose Ortiz to ride

Letruska, the 5-year-old Mexican mare that has taken her division by storm, will enter Saturday's $300,000 Fleur de Lis (G2) at Churchill Downs with Jose Ortiz aboard.

The move was reported earlier in a Twitter post by Marty McGee of the Daily Racing Form, and Ortiz' agent, Jimmy Riccio, confirmed the start for Horse Racing Nation.

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Trained by Fausto Gutierrez, Letruska has won 14 of 19 career starts. She has won her last two starts, both in Grade 1 races. In the June 5 Ogden Phipps, she led gate to wire under Ortiz to beat a field that included Bonny South and last year's Kentucky Oaks winner, Shedaresthedevil. In April, she beat Monomoy Girl by a nose to win the Apple Blossom, with Swiss Skydiver coming in third.

Her last loss was by a head to Shedaresthedevil in the Azeri (G2) in March.

Riccio also confirmed that Ortiz will ride Maxfield, who will be favored in the $600,000 Stephen Foster (G2), where he is expected to face Chess Chief, Silver Dust, Warrior's Charge and others. He also has the mount on Somelikeithotbrown in the $300,000 Wise Dan (G2) and "a couple of babies in the stakes for Steve Asmussen," Riccio said via text message.

Among others expected for the Fleur de Lis are Vault, coming off a win in the Ruffian (G2) for her second consecutive score, winner of the Shawnee Stakes last out after coming in second to Shedaresthedevil in the La Troienne (G1).