Letruska Tunes Up for Anticipated Juddmonte Spinster Run

“Bueno,” reported exercise rider Felipe Jacobo.

“She did it very easy,” added trainer Fausto Gutierrez.

In a nutshell, that summed up the 5-furlong work in :59 over a fast track Saturday morning for St. George Stable’s homebred Letruska, the top-rated mare in North America.

Working on her own at just after 9 a.m. following the morning’s second renovation break, Letruska posted fractions of :22.60, :35.40, :46.80, :59 and out 6 furlongs in 1:11 in her final preparations for next Sunday’s$500,000 Juddmonte Spinster (G1). The work was the best of 55 at the distance.

For Letruska, this morning’s move was her second local work since winning the Personal Ensign (G1) at Saratoga Aug. 28. Last Saturday, Letruska worked a best-of-76 half-mile in :47.40.

In addition to Letruska, several other horses pointing toward Fall Stars Weekend stakes put in main track works headed by Michael McLoughlin’s Kevin’s Folly, who covered 5 furlongs in :59.40 in company under Edgar Morales for trainer Tom Amoss. Kevin’s Folly, third in the Hopeful (G1) in his most recent start, is headed to the $500,000 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (G1) next Saturday.

Also working for Amoss was Jerry Caroom’s Pipeline Girl (5 furlongs in :59.80) in preparation for Friday’s opening-day $400,000 Darley Alcibiades (G1).

Ranlo Investment’s Golden Pal, winner of last fall’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G2), worked 5 furlongs in 1:01 over a firm turf course in company with Indian Summer (L) Presented by Keeneland Select hopeful Averly Jane (1:01.80) in preparation for next Saturday’s$200,000 Woodford (G2) Presented by TVG. Averly Jane is owned by Hat Creek Racing.

Golden Pal and Averly Jane were two of five turf workers for trainer Wesley Ward, whose contingent included Indian Summer hopeful Kaufymaker (5 furlongs in 1:02) and multiple Group 1 winner Campanelle (IRE) (5 furlongs in 1:02). Kaufymaker races for Gregory Kaufman. Stonestreet Stables own Campanelle.

Other turf works of note included George Sharp’s Front Run the Fed (4 furlongs in :50.80) and Clipper Logistics’ Space Traveller (GB) (4 furlongs in :50.40) for the $750,000 Keeneland Turf Mile (G1); Apogee Racing’s Abscond (5 furlongs in 1:02) for the $400,000 First Lady (G1) Presented by UK HealthCare; and Phoenix Thoroughbred’s Tiz the Bomb (4 furlongs in :49) for the $200,000 Castle & Key Bourbon (G2).