Azeri Stakes | Horse Racing Free Tips

Distaff’s Big Stars Do Battle in Azeri

Saturday's GII Azeri S. at Oaklawn Park features several of the most prominent figures in the Distaff division each lining up to get their first graded stakes win of the 2022 season.

The reigning champion sprinter and winner of the 2021 GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint Ce Ce (Elusive Quality) returns to the two-turn distance after spending much of her 2021 season at seven-furlongs. She's been plenty successful at this distance before, including a win the 2020 GI Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park and two third-place efforts in the GII Santa Monica S. and the GI Clement L. Hirsch S. in late summer 2020. Ce Ce has already catalogued career earnings of over $1.7m to date and keeps regular rider Victor Espinoza aboard for trainer Mike McCarthy. Her most recent start was a runner-up finish to the Bob Baffert-trained Merneith (American Pharoah) where she posted a career-high 101 Beyer Speed Figure, her second straight triple-digit figure. She adds Lasix back after nearly a year of racing without it.

Also adding Lasix again for the first time in a year is 2020 GI Kentucky Oaks winner Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil) who returns to the Azeri after a winning it to kick off her four-year-old campaign a year ago. Freshened since a last out sixth after tracking a brutal opening pace in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff Nov. 6, Shedaresthedevil will surely look to use this race as she did last year to springboard herself into another successful season. That sixth-place effort was her only off-the-board finish in 2021, where she also posted four wins, each in graded stakes company along with a third behind Letruska in the GI Ogden Phipps S. No stranger to the 1 1/16-mile distance, her previous wins include the GIII Locust Grove S., the GI Clement L. Hirsch S. over GI winners Venetian Harbor (Munnings) and As Time Goes By (American Pharoah), and the GI La Troienne S. Jockey Florent Geroux retains the ride for trainer Brad Cox.

Standing in the shadow of both previously mentioned mares but a near millionaire herself is Pauline's Pearl (Tapit). The gray filly comes into the Azeri off of back-to-back wins in the Zia Park Oaks and the GIII Houston Ladies Classic, both at the 1 1/16-mile distance, as well as a second-place in the GIII Remington Park Oaks. As a 3-year-old last season, she took Oaklawn Park's richest race for fillies in the GIII Fantasy S. and spent nearly her entire season in graded stakes company where she only finished out of the money once, finished eighth behind Malathaat (Curlin) in the GI Kentucky Oaks. Joel Rosario rides after piloting her in her most recent start, and she also regains Lasix for trainer Steve Asmussen.

The post Distaff’s Big Stars Do Battle in Azeri appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Eclipse Finalist Shedaresthedevil Returns To Work Tab; Azeri Remains First Target In 2022

Millionaire multiple Grade 1 winner Shedaresthedevil, among three finalists for an Eclipse Award as the country's champion older dirt female of 2021, returned to the work tab last Sunday at Fair Grounds, covering 3 furlongs in :36.20 for trainer Brad Cox and co-owner Staton Flurry of Hot Springs, Ark.

Cox reiterated Tuesday afternoon that Shedaresthedevil's first 2022 target remains the $350,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) at 1 1/16 miles March 12 at Oaklawn. Shedaresthedevil opened her 2021 campaign with a victory in the Azeri, holding off expected Eclipse Award winner Letruksa by a head under regular rider Florent Geroux.

“It was a good move,” Cox said, referring to Sunday's breeze. “Pointing for the Azeri. I think it's going to be a realistic goal to get to the Azeri. Obviously, it's a prep for the Apple Blossom.”

Shedaresthedevil hasn't started since a sixth-place finish in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) Nov. 6 at Del Mar. Shedaresthedevil, as a racing/broodmare prospect, sold for $5 million at Fasig-Tipton's Fall Mixed Sale Nov. 9, but her new connections decided to keep her in training with Cox for a 2022 racing campaign.

Flurry said the 5-year-old daughter of Daredevil received a 30-day break following the Breeders' Cup and was in light training at new co-owner Mandy Pope's farm in Florida before returning to Cox in early January at Fair Grounds.

“They had her in Ocala, Mandy Pope's team did, and she came back and looked amazing,” Cox said. “She looked as well as she's ever looked, so I'm excited about getting her started this year and hopefully make her presence felt in some Grade 1s throughout the year.”

The Azeri is the final major local prep for the $1 million Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) at 1 1/16 miles April 23.

In addition to the Azeri, Shedaresthedevil won the $300,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3) for 3-year-old fillies in 2020 at Oaklawn before capturing the $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) later that year at Churchill Downs. She was a finalist for an Eclipse Award as the country's champion 3-year-old filly of 2020.

Shedaresthedevil has bankrolled $2,331,458 after winning 9 of 17 career starts. She is a three-time Grade 1 winner.

Source of original post

Cox Eyes Azeri, Apple Blossom For Shedaresthedevil

Trainer Brad Cox said Thursday afternoon that multiple Grade 1 winner Shedaresthedevil should return to his barn early next month to begin serious preparations for a 2022 campaign that figures to again unfold at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort in Hot Springs, Ark.

Co-owned by Staton Flurry of Hot Springs, Shedaresthedevil opened 2021 with a victory over Letruksa in the $350,000 G2 Azeri Stakes for older fillies and mares in March at Oaklawn. Her final start this year was a sixth-place finish in the $2 million G1 Breeders' Cup Distaff Nov. 6 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif. Shedaresthedevil, as a racing/broodmare prospect, sold for $5 million at Fasig-Tipton's Fall Mixed Sale Nov. 9, but will remain with Cox for a 2022 campaign. Flurry said the 4-year-old daughter of Daredevil received a 30-day break following the Breeders' Cup and is now in light training at new co-owner Mandy Pope's farm in Florida.

Cox said the $350,000 G2 Azeri March 12 and $1 million G1 Apple Blossom Handicap April 23 at Oaklawn are targets for Shedaresthedevil, who has bankrolled $2,331,458 after winning 9 of 17 career starts.

“I think those are realistic goals,” Cox said. “We'll get her back and probably ship her to the Fair Grounds and train her here and just kind of see how things go. I'm excited about hopefully taking a big swing at the Apple Blossom.”

Cox just missed sweeping Oaklawn's series of two-turn stakes races for older fillies and mares in 2021. Cox won the $150,000 Pippin with Getridofwhatailesu, $250,000 G3 Bayakoa with two-time Eclipse Award winner Monomoy Girl, and the Azeri with Shedaresthedevil. Monomoy Girl, in what would be her final career start, was beaten a nose by Letruska in the Apple Blossom. The Apple Blossom is the final race in the series.

Letruska, also ticketed to run next year, is the front-runner for an Eclipse Award as the country's top older dirt female of 2021. Shedaresthedevil won the $300,000 G3 Honeybee Stakes for 3-year-old fillies in 2020 at Oaklawn before capturing the $1.25 million G1 Kentucky Oaks later that year at Churchill Downs.

Flurry has owned a piece of Shedaresthedevil since November 2019.

The post Cox Eyes Azeri, Apple Blossom For Shedaresthedevil appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Shedaresthedevil Makes Victorious Return, Holds Off Letruska In Azeri

Shedaresthedevil, winner of the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks last September, made a winning return to the races at Oaklawn in Hot Springs, Ark., on Saturday, going right to the front, controlling the pace and holding off a late bid in deep stretch from favored Letruska to win the G2, $250,000 Azeri Stakes by a short head.

Off since tiring in the stretch to be third in the G1 Spinster Stakes at Keeneland in her lone start against older fillies and mares in 2020, Shedaresthedevil covered 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:42.57 and paid $5.60 as the second choice in the wagering. She carried 119 pounds, five fewer than Letruska.

Letruska, a star at Hipodromo de las Americas in Mexico City before coming to the U.S. late in 2019, finished second in the field of five in her bid for a third consecutive graded stakes win. Encoutante finished third, with Getridofwhatailesu fourth and Motion Emotion fifth.

A 4-year-old filly by Daredevil owned by Qatar Racing, Big Aut Farms and Flurry Racing Stable, Shedaresthedevil is trained by Brad Cox and was ridden to victory by Florent Geroux.

Breaking from the outside post, Shedaresthedevil darted to the front immediately and set fractions of :23.93 for the opening quarter mile, :47.79 for the half and 1:11.54 for six furlongs. Envoutante was her closest pursuer with Letruska – who typically runs on the front end – three wide while third into the first turn and in the run down the backstretch.

As the field rounded into the stretch, Joel Rosario allowed Letruska to drift out even further while trying to run down the favorite. Shedaresthedevil maintained a clear advantage at the mile marker — clocked in 1:36.25 – but was all out to hold off a surge from Letruska in deep stretch.

“We caught a flyer out of the gate,” Geroux said. “I was expecting Letruska to lead all the way. I don't know if she didn't break fast enough or stumbled, but we inherited the lead and I just took it from there. My filly is extremely talented. You know you want to slow her down, just keep her in a nice rhythm. Turning for home, she gave me everything she had. She maybe got a little bit tired down the lane, but it was good for her first race off the break. I don't think she was 100% cranked up for this. We have hopes for a big year with her.”

The win was the sixth from 12 starts for Shedaresthedevil, who won the G3 Honeybee at Oaklawn in 2020, along with the G3 Indiana Oaks prior to winning the Kentucky Oaks. She was bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm.

“Whenever I run here, I'm nervous,” Staton Flurry of Flurry Racing said. “I expected the three (Letruska) to break good, but she didn't. We just went on with it. She really dug in. Florent rode a great race. I'm glad to have her back. It's going to be a fun year.”

The post Shedaresthedevil Makes Victorious Return, Holds Off Letruska In Azeri appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post