If there’s something extra sure than a 1-20 shot on the racetrack, it is that loss of life is inevitable.
It occurs to all people, and it occurs to animals too.
Nevertheless it’s very tough to simply accept, particularly when it occurs so early in life, as was the case with among the finest two-year-old mares of the twentieth century.
Landaluce appeared invincible on the racetrack.
She gained by a complete of 46 and a half lengths in 5 begins, together with her first graded stakes victory, when she raced dwelling by 21 lengths.
“It was wonderful how proficient she was when it comes to velocity and effectivity in her actions…” — Corridor of Fame coach D. Wayne Lucas
Winner of the Eclipse Award for Greatest Two-12 months-Outdated Filly in 1982, she was the primary champion skilled by D. Wayne Lucas. Lucas is maybe the best coach within the sport, producing 25 particular person champions.
Nonetheless, the award was to be awarded posthumously in a heartbreaking method as Landa Luce fell sufferer to a lethal virus and tragically handed away after simply 5 unforgettable races.
“There was most likely nobody fairly like her when it comes to the sheer brilliance of her brief profession,” mentioned Lucas, who handed away on June 28, 2025.
It wasn’t all that stunning that Landaluce was endowed with nice expertise.
In any case, she was a daughter of the Triple Crown winner, 1977 champion Seattle Slew, and was additionally a really profitable stallion.
This darkish deer/brown filly out of the Daring Bidder mare Strip Poker caught Lucas’ consideration on the 1981 Keeneland July Yearling Sale, and he satisfied Lloyd R. French and Barry Beal (who beforehand owned Lucas’ multi-stakes-winning mare Terlingua) to bid her $650,000.
A 12 months later, when she was shipped to Lucas’ barn in Hollywood Park to start a two-year marketing campaign, it did not take lengthy for her to show that she was price each penny and dime of that price ticket.
“In the event you had been a coach again then, you’ll get up daily and hope that an incredible Seattle Slew or Spectacular Bid would fall into your lap,” Lucas mentioned in a 2016 interview with America’s Greatest Racing. “When Randa Luce got here alongside, we knew we had a extremely nice filly.”
The nice vibes Lucas had with Landalus appeared to develop exponentially with every passing day, highlighted by her first half-mile exercise, which satisfied Lucas that she was a filly with limitless potential.
“I had a stakes horse in New York, and (jockey) Angel Cordero (Jr.) and I received on an in a single day flight to California,” Lucas recalled. “We arrived round 6 a.m. and I informed him I used to be going to coach a extremely particular horse known as Landa Luce that morning. And he mentioned, ‘Do not make her work too early, I am going to come out and work her.’
“I mentioned I might maintain out till 8:30 or 9. Then Angel arrived and mentioned she might actually run, and I did not wish to push him. I mentioned, ‘It is her first half mile, so do not run her as onerous as you need. She’s actually proficient, so let’s work her into possibly a 48 or 49 (second).’
“Nicely, he was working her and I used to be driving a saddle horse and I picked them up afterwards and requested Angel what he thought. He mentioned, ‘Dude, she strikes rather well.’ I mentioned, “What do you assume you bought into?” He mentioned, “Perhaps 48 4/5 or 49.” We handed by the clock tower and I mentioned, “What did she do?” They mentioned “44 4/5.” ”
In response, Lucas appeared on the future Corridor of Fame rider and mentioned, “I missed you just a little bit, Angel.”
Information of the uncooked velocity Randa Luce displayed in her first apply unfold alongside the backstretch of Hollywood Park like gossip in Tinseltown, and on July 3, 1982, when she ran her first race, she was despatched off as an odds-on 4-5 favourite.
It might be a dangerous enterprise to again a racehorse with such low odds on his debut, however Landaluce was the actual deal.
She broke immediately within the six-furlong first race below common rider Lafitte Pincay Jr., giving no probability to her rivals. He led by three lengths by way of the primary 0.5 mile at 44 minutes 3/5 seconds, then pulled away in a straight line to steer by six lengths on the eighth pole, and by seven lengths when he crossed the end line in a blistering time of 1 minute 08 seconds 1/5.
“She tipped her hand early,” Lucas mentioned. “It was wonderful how briskly she was and the way proficient she was within the effectivity of her actions and the way in which she received over the bottom.”
Per week later, Lucas entered Randa Ruth within the Grade 2 Hollywood Lassie Stakes, and a celebrity was born.
What appeared like a aggressive race within the early levels became a mismatch of epic proportions.
The mare ran the primary quarter mile in 21 3/5 seconds to take second place by a size and a half, and after the half mile she ran a blistering time of 43 4/5 seconds to take a one and a half size lead on the quarter pole.
What occurred subsequent turned a part of horse racing legend. Going into the stretch, Randaluce separated himself from his rivals with fast, fluid strides. By the eighth pole, she had an insurmountable nine-length lead, passing 5 furlongs in 56 seconds.
However that margin resembled a white knuckler in comparison with the breathtaking ultimate furlong that Landa Luce pulled away in astonishing style. She crossed the end line 21 lengths forward of her overwhelming rival.
“Lassie, while you see this on YouTube, you’re like, ‘Wow,’” Lucas mentioned. “There are 4 horses collectively on the entrance of the straight. There have been a number of different stakes winners there, however they appeared to have stopped operating, and he or she opened up a 21-length lead. The digital camera stayed together with her the entire time, and on the finish the remainder of the sphere is within the image.
“For me, it was just like the Belmont of the Secretariat. It was a type of races I am going to always remember.”
If anybody doubted Randa Ruth’s expertise, they had been very onerous to search out after The Canine.
Given a relaxation till September 5, she stretched out to a mile for the Grade 2 Del Mar Debutante and as soon as once more crushed her opponents with that stretch. Main by only one and a half lengths on the eighth pole, he simply pulled away within the ultimate furlong and gained by eight and a half lengths in a time of 1 minute 35 seconds 3/5.
He then gained the Grade 3 Anoakia Stakes by 10 lengths, and on October 23, he gained the Oakleaf Stakes at Santa Anita because the 1-20 favourite, ending the mile and sixteenth in 1 minute 41 seconds 4/5, changing into the Grade 1 winner by two lengths.
Her subsequent aim was Hollywood Starlet on November twenty eighth for $518,850, on the time the richest purse for a filly in Thoroughbred historical past. However Lucas knew his wonderful two-year-old might deal with the males, too, and focused the Hollywood Futurity, a further $500,000 stake for the 1982 finale.
“We knew she might compete towards the boys,” Lucas mentioned. “We thought her limits had been limitless. You might play her towards anybody.”
Nonetheless, within the week main as much as the starlet’s start, Randa Ruth turned sick with a 103-degree fever. At first, Lucas and her veterinarian believed it was a light sickness, but it surely turned out to be a type of colitis X, the identical virus that just about killed her stallion, Seattle Slew, a number of years earlier. Landalus’ situation worsened day-to-day, and the docs treating her had been unable to assist her.
“I stored considering we might flip it round, however after all we did not and we did not have an opportunity,” Lucas mentioned. “It was a virus that attacked all her very important organs. We had no probability of saving her.”
Lastly, within the early morning hours of November 28, when the Starlet was in service, Lucas noticed that Randa Ruth was rising unsteadily and entered her steady to assist and luxury her.
“I believed her situation was getting worse so I went into the stall. I might see she was getting weaker and began to stumble and fall towards the wall,” Lucas mentioned.
As Randa Luce fell to the bottom, she knocked Lucas over and her head fell into his lap. As he tried to assist her to her toes, Randaluce handed away together with her head in Lucas’ arms.
“We misplaced her so rapidly that it was very tough to take care of,” Lucas mentioned. “It took me a very long time to recover from it and I by no means put myself in that place once more with too many horses. It was tough and it was early in my profession and I did not cope nicely.”
Lucas wasn’t the one one grieving. He remembers having to rearrange psychological assist for considered one of Landalus’ stablemen, who was discovered sobbing in his stall a number of days later.
Landaluce’s loss shocked all the horse racing business. Not solely has the game misplaced a dynamic champion, however her pedigree would have made her a helpful broodmare.
Though she competed in simply 5 races, she had already captured the creativeness of numerous horse racing followers who mourn her passing. Lucas recalled seeing protection of Landalus’ loss of life on community information packages, saying, “I had by no means seen that earlier than in horse racing on the time.”
Landalus was buried in Hollywood Park. When the racetrack closed in 2013, her physique was moved to her ultimate resting place at Spendthrift Ranch in Lexington, Kentucky, the place the mare was born, the place her legend lives on.
“I’ve skilled (many) champions, and Randaluce is up there with one of the best,” Lucas mentioned. “She was a type of very particular individuals.”
Notice: This text was initially printed in 2016 and has been up to date. Corridor of Famer Lucas handed away on June 28, 2025.
Notable info about Landaluce
- The best worth she paid for her 5 wins was $2.70 for her debut.
- She was named in honor of Francisco Landaluce, a searching information that French and Biel met throughout a visit to a farm in Spain.
