Lestruska, despite Classic goals, aims for Distaff at Breeders’ Cup

Letruska volition caput into Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Distaff astatine Del Mar arsenic the equine to beat, but trainer Fausto Gutierrez said the 5-year-old mare’s connections were earnestly considering a tally successful the $6 cardinal Classic midway done the year.

Only 1 female, Zenyatta successful 2009, has won the Breeders’ Cup Classic successful its archetypal 37 runnings.

“When she triumph and wins, you imagination and dream,” Gutierrez said connected a Breeders’ Cup league telephone past week. “But close now, aft the past races, the close and lone determination successful this close infinitesimal is that she corroborate this large twelvemonth that she’s had. So we decided to tally successful the Distaff, and it’s a precise pugnacious race.”

Letruska, a girl of Super Saver, has won 6 of 7 races this twelvemonth and 17 of 22 during her career. She’s expected to gully immoderate enactment for Horse of the Year if she wins the Distaff, which astatine a mile and an eighth is close up her alley. She’s 4 for 5 beingness astatine the distance.

It won’t beryllium an casual task, however, arsenic Shedaresthedevil has won 4 of 5 this year, including a triumph implicit Letruska successful the Grade II Azeri Stakes astatine Oaklawn Park connected March 13. The Bob Baffert-trained Private Mission besides goes into the contention disconnected 3 consecutive victories.

Lasix-free racing

For the archetypal time, the Breeders’ Cup is not allowing Lasix astatine this year’s event, scheduled for Friday and Saturday. Lasix is mostly prohibited arsenic a race-day medicine successful different countries, but had gained wide acceptance successful U.S. racing successful the attraction of pulmonary bleeding.

Earlier this year, Breeders’ Cup announced that each its 2021 qualifying races would beryllium tally Lasix-free. Under the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act signed into instrumentality successful December, Lasix-free racing volition beryllium the wide modular starting July 1, 2022.

European-based trainer Aidan O’Brien, 4th all-time down lone D. Wayke Lukas (20), Baffert (17) and Chad Brown (15) for astir Breeders’ Cup victories, is pleased to spot Lasix phased out.

“I deliberation that’s ever evidently an advantage,” helium said. “And obviously, we don’t medicate our horses implicit present astatine all, precise rarely, and the lone medicine they get is immoderate benignant of antibiotics oregon acold oregon the flus oregon infections. They’re truly the lone medications we use. So similar we’re ever precise blessed to spell (drug-free) and we deliberation that it’s decidedly a bully thing.”

Home-track edge?

It’s mostly conceded that trainers person immoderate benignant of an vantage with their horses if a Breeders’ Cup is tally astatine their location track. The horses don’t person to question and tin enactment successful their acquainted surroundings.

That conception was rebuffed somewhat successful 2017 erstwhile Del Mar hosted its archetypal Breeders’ Cup. Of the 14 winners that year, lone 3 were based locally.

Trainer Doug O’Neill, who volition saddle Hot Rod Charlie successful this year’s Classic and Mackinnon successful the Juvenile Turf, believes the home-track borderline mightiness beryllium a misnomer.

“I don’t deliberation there’s truly a full batch of borderline erstwhile you are fortunate capable to beryllium moving alongside the apical horses,” helium said. “They tin vessel oregon tally retired of their stall and clasp their form. That’s what makes a truly top-notch horse. You look astatine Hot Rod Charlie and his champion races to day truly person been retired of the authorities of California.

“It’s definite a batch easier for the humans, for sure, but for horses similar Hot Rod Charlie and astir of the horses that I’ve gotta tally connected Breeders’ Cup Day, I don’t deliberation it matters a full lot.”