DEL MAR, Calif. (AP) — Coming from Mexico, where he has dominated racing, Fausto Gutierrez is at his first Breeders’ Cup with the best horse he’s ever had in his stable.
And the trainer is expecting big things from Letruska.
“She is a horse with a very special mind,” he said. “She is ready for this.”
Gutierrez is, too.
He’s the best-known trainer in Mexico and he’s backed by client German Larrea Mota-Velasco, the CEO of Grupo México, the country’s largest copper mining operation. Mota-Velasco is worth an estimated $14.9 billion, according to Forbes.
Together, Mota-Velasco and Gutierrez set up a U.S. division at the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida in 2019 to take a shot at the most prestigious races. Mota-Velasco, who races as St. George Stable, bred Letruska in Kentucky. The 5-year-old mare is a daughter of 2010 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver.
Letruska won her first seven career starts, including six at Hipódromo de las Américas in Mexico City. Among her winning streak were victories in the Clasico Esmeralda and Clasico Diamante, two legs of Mexico’s Triple Crown for 3-year-old fillies in 2019. She was named that country’s divisional champion.
“The actual Mexican races are with a lot of problems, especially for the quality for the horses,” Gutierrez said.
The gap between that level and the Breeders’ Cup is “like a child to play in school and go to the major leagues,” he said.
Since relocating to South Florida, Letruska’s been a well-traveled competitor, winning at Gulfstream, Oaklawn, Saratoga, Belmont, Sam Houston, Churchill Downs and Keeneland.