Shedaresthedevil, winner of the 2020 Kentucky Oaks (G1), improved her Churchill Downs record Saturday to six wins in seven starts when she ran down pacesetter Super Quick in deep stretch to win the $350,000 Fleur de Lis (G2) by 1 ¾ lengths.
Shedaresthedevil clocked 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.17 under Florent Geroux, who rode the winner for trainer Brad Cox and owners Whisper Hill Farm LLC, Qatar Racing Ltd., and Flurry Racing Stables LLC. It was her first win three starts this year.
“We're really proud of the race she ran today,” Cox said of the 4-year-old Daredevil filly. “We've targeted this race for a long time. She loves it here at Churchill Downs and Florent gave her a perfect ride. It was a tough field but I had confidence in her when I saw her position going around the turn that she'd have enough left to chase down (Super Quick).”
Super Quick, runaway winner of the Allaire duPont Distaff (G3) at Pimlico on Black-Eyed Susan Day, went straight to the front and led the field of five fillies and mares through moderate fractions of :24.13, :47.83 and 1:12.09 for six furlongs as Shedaresthedevil stalked in second. Shedaresthedevil drew even with the weary pacesetter with a furlong to go and edged clear through the final sixteenth of a mile.
“We sat in a perfect position the entire way around the track,” Geroux said. “Inside the eighth pole she started to find her best stride and drew away late. She's back.”
Shedaresthedevil paid $4.80 as the slight 7-5 favorite. Super Quick, with jockey Joe Talamo aboard, was 3 ½ lengths in front of third-place finisher Pauline's Pearl, the 7-5 second betting choice ridden by Joel Rosario.
She's All Wolfe and Ava's Grace rounded out the field.
Shedaresthedevil, out of the Congrats mare Starship Warpspeed, improved her overall record to 10-3-5 in 20 starts, and the $216,000 first prize boosted her career earnings to $2,729,458. She was bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm.
The Fleur de Lis marks the eighth graded stakes win of Shedaresthedevil's career. At 3, she won the Honeybee (G3), Indiana Oaks (G3) and Kentucky Oaks. Her 2021 campaign featured wins in the Azeri (G2), La Troienne (G1), Clement L. Hirsch (G1) and Locust Grove (G3).
The Fleur de Lis is part of the Breeders' Cup Dirt Dozen where a portion of entry fees will be paid to the top three finishers toward the $2 million Distaff (G1) held on Nov. 5 at Keeneland.
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