Union Strike will go next in the Chandelier at Santa Anita

Mick and Wendy Ruis occupied lawn chairs on the patch of artificial turf outside the Ruis Racing LLC stable office here Sunday morning.

Inside, their daughter Shelbe took care of business as usual. Well, as usual as it can be when you’re 25 years old and you’ve trained Union Strike, winner of the Grade I $300,000 Del Mar Debutante for your mom and dad.

A little over 12 hours had passed since Saturday’s big event in Ruis family history. None of it by way of formal celebration.

“Wendy and I just went home and straight to sleep because we had to be back at the barn at 4:30. Shelbe went to bed at 9 o’clock too. I told her we’d see her at the barn and don’t be late.”

They arrived to find Union Strike, a daughter of Union Rags out of the Smart Strike mare Classic Strike, looking to have recovered nicely from the race. Union Strike covered seven furlongs under jockey Martin Garcia in 1:23.22, passing favored American Cleopatra, a full sister to Triple Crown champion American Pharoah, near the sixteenth pole and winning by 2 ¼ lengths.

“She’s perfect,” Mick said. “She came out of it sound, ate up well. Now it’s a matter of not getting too excited and keeping her good and happy. We’ll go (next) in the Chandelier at Santa Anita.”

That race, also a Grade I $300,000 event, is on Saturday, October 1. It is a stepping stone to the $2 million 14 Hands Winery Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies there on November 5.

Union Strike was a $375,000 purchase in April at the Ocala, Fla., sale, part of over $2 million Ruis, owner of American Scaffolding Co., spent building the stable which Shelbe runs.

Union Strike became only the third maiden, behind Cindy’s Hero (2000) and Sweet Catomine (2004), to win the Debutante. The grade I stakes victory was the fourth in the brief career of Shelbe Ruis, who won two races previously here and one before that, with her fourth starter at Santa Anita.

The Ruis family watched the race from its fifth-floor suite. While Union Strike was, at $7.70-1, the third-longest shot in a field of seven, Mick passed out $20 win tickets to family, friends, stable help and even turf club elevator operators. The cash value was $174.00.

He carried grandson Caiden, who’ll turn three at Christmastime, on his shoulders to the winners’ circle and beyond. Caiden is the son Mick, Jr., who spent part of his apprentice riding season here in the summer of 2003.

Like his father, Mick, Jr. was an accomplished wrestler at Poway High.  Mick, Sr. hopes his grandson will start donning singlets and winning medals at age five. But become a jockey?

“No more jockeys, that was a mistake,” Ruis said. “We’re still trying to get the jockey out of little Mick.”

The delayed celebration was scheduled to take place Sunday night at a steak house at La Costa.

The possibility remains of another one becoming necessary Monday evening. The family has Midnight Pleasure (morning line 10-1) in Monday’s Grade I $300,000 Del Mar Futurity.

Source: Del Mar Thoroughbred Club