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‘Horse Who Gives You Everything’: Frost Or Frippery Honored As Claiming Crown Horse Of The Year

Steve Landers calls Frost Or Frippery “as hard-hitting a horse” as he's ever owned. There's no better example than the gelding's nose victory in the $75,000 Claiming Crown Kent Stirling Memorial Iron Horse. That day, the 7-year-old was shut off and had to check hard heading into the first turn, got shuffled back on the far turn, rallied to take the lead 70 yards out, then held on by mere inches.

Off that game performance and an 8-for-13 record (with four seconds) last year, Frost Or Frippery is honored as the 2020 Claiming Crown Horse of the Year, selected by the Industry Awards Committee of the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA). Frost Or Frippery will be recognized at the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association's 36th annual awards dinner Sept. 11 at Hill 'n' Dale Farm at Xalapa in Paris, Ky.

“He's not the most expensive horse I've ever had, but he showed the most heart,” said Landers, a prominent Arkansas auto dealer and long-time horse owner. “That's what it's all about: a horse who gives you everything he's got.”

Landers and trainer Brad Cox claimed Frost Or Frippery for $20,000 at Oaklawn Park on April 30, 2020. He won his first four starts and seven of nine overall for those connections. The gelding raced once at Oaklawn in January and subsequently sustained a training injury. He was retired after a career that saw him go 22-12-13 in 67 starts for earnings of $381,918.

All but six of the Maryland-bred's starts came in claiming races or under starter-allowance conditions. The 1 1/16-mile Kent Stirling Memorial Iron Horse is for horses that at some point ran for an $8,000 claiming price or cheaper.

The Claiming Crown at Gulfstream Park marked the 10th track at which Frost Or Frippery competed.

“The hallmark of a good horse is one that is honest and tries every time, no matter their level,” Cox said. “Frost Or Frippery wasn't the best or the fastest, but he was as honest as they come. I'm glad the Claiming Crown rewards such horses and their owners.”

The Claiming Crown program is a partnership between the National HBPA and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA). It was launched in 1999 to be the claiming horse owners' Breeders' Cup, a special event showcasing the blue-collar stalwarts that fill the majority of races in America.

“The group of horses that competed in the 2020 Claiming Crown provided a solid display of talent and class,” said Eric Hamelback, CEO of the National HBPA. “The event was designed as a means of featuring and promoting claiming-level horses while demonstrating to owners that claiming your way to success is an extremely important aspect within our industry. Frost Or Frippery exemplifies the true spirit of the Claiming Crown event, and we congratulate all the connections.”

Landers said he's touched that Frost Or Frippery is being recognized as the Claiming Crown Horse of the Year.

“Because of how tough the horse was,” Landers said. “He knew what he was doing. Didn't act stupid in the paddock, just went straight out there and did his job. It meant a lot for him to win it, because there are a lot of claiming horses in the country. That's what the Claiming Crown is about: being the best at what they do. He acted like a more-expensive horse, like high-dollar, more class-type horse than he really was. But he didn't know what his class was. He'd just go out there and win.”

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Shedaresthedevil Romps In Clement L. Hirsch, Earns Breeders’ Cup Distaff Spot

Flurry Racing Stables, Qatar Racing Limited or Big Aut Farms' Shedaresthedevil walked her beat Sunday at Del Mar racetrack in Del Mar, Calif., and came away a handy 3 1/4-length winner of the Grade 1, $300,000 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes.

The big bay daughter of Daredevil broke smartly, sat just behind the speed, then went to the front when rider Florent Geroux gave her the signal on the far turn and left little doubt as to who the best horse was Sunday in the 1 1/16-mile headliner.

Trainer Brad Cox sent assistant Eric Gary west with his 4-year-old and he watched her cover the distance in 1:45.38, drawing away from her rivals at the finish.

Running second in the Hirsch was the pacesetter, Ciagila Racing, Highland Yard, et al's Venetian Harbor, who had 3 1/4 lengths on Mathiesen Racing, Feghali, et al's Paige Anne. Fractions were :23.30, :47.21, 1:11.77 and 1:38.33.

Shedaresthedevil, who went off at 13-10, returned $4.60, $2.60 and $2.60 across the board. Venetian Harbor paid $3.20 and $3.60 and Paige Anne returned $5.80 to show.

“I'm very pleased,” said Geroux. “The idea was to get her to break alertly, then get a good spot. That's exactly what happened. She ran her race today and she's very good when she does. I'd have to say she's up there with the best mares I've ever ridden. And his is her third Grade 1 win. And the fact that she showed she can run well on the track where the Breeders' Cup will be held, that's a good thing, too.”The win was worth $180,000 to Shedaresthedevil and pushed her sizable bankroll past the $2 million mark to $2,047,318. She now has won eight of 15 starts with two seconds and four thirds besides.

The Hirsch was a “Win and You're In” qualifier for the $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff, which will be run at Del Mar on November 6 at nine furlongs. Shedaresthedevil earned a fees-paid berth in the Distaff.

“We sat right off the lead, nice, calm and relaxed and when it was time to go she showed up like she was supposed to,” said Gary, Cox's assistant. “We had a good stalking position and when I saw they went the half in :47, I thought we were going to be OK. Being around her this morning, I had a really good feeling that she was going to run big today. She flies back tomorrow (to Kentucky) with some other horses and then I guess she'll be back in November. ”

The track's Pick Six Single Ticket Jackpot wager carried over for the eighth straight day. The sum that will be in the pool when racing resumes Thursday starting at 2 p.m. will now be $686,925.

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Shedaresthedevil Distaff-Bound With Convincing Hirsch Triumph

Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil) sat off a quick early pace, pounced at the five-sixteenths pole and edged clear in the lane to capture the GI Clement L. Hirsch S. Sunday at Del Mar, punching her ticket to the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff in the “Win and You're In” qualifier with her third Grade I victory.

Bought into by Qatar Racing out of a debut victory for Norm Casse in June of 2019 and transferred to Simon Callaghan, the bay went winless in three subsequent starts as a juvenile, but still hammered for $280,000 at Keeneland November that fall with Sheikh Fahad's outfit keeping an interest. Returning for Brad Cox the following season, she captured the GIII Honeybee S. and GIII Indiana Oaks before famously upsetting future champions Gamine (Into Mischief) and Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) in the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks last September. A beaten favorite when third in the GI Juddmonte Spinster S. to conclude her sophomore campaign, she returned to the races with tallies in the GIII Azeri S. and GI La Troienne S. before running third in the GI Ogden Phipps S. most recently June 5 at Belmont.

Made the narrow favorite against four rivals in this first California try since her days in the Callaghan barn, Shedaresthedevil was away well from her outside stall and a bit keen early, but soon settled under Florent Geroux to allow Venetian Harbor (Munnings) to skip clear through a quick :23.30 quarter. Longshot Paige Anne (Take Charge Indy) did a bit of her dirty work as she moved up inside to pressure the pacesetter through a :47.11 half. That rival soon dropped away, however, leaving the mantle to the favorite and she obliged, drawing alongside Venetian Harbor as three-quarters went up in 1:11.77. Taking over within a handful of strides after that, she briefly had to spar with the frontrunner, but took charge while shifting in at the eighth pole and didn't face an anxious moment from there, hitting the wire 2 1/2 lengths to the good. Venetian Harbor held for the place. Paige Anne completed the trifecta, while second choice As Time Goes By (American Pharoah) finished a non-factor fourth.

Pedigree Notes:
One of six stakes winners and two graded winners for repatriated Daredevil–the other being fellow multiple Grade I winner Swiss Skydiver–Shedaresthedevil is easily the most accomplished of four foals to race out of Starship Warpspeed. Her unraced second dam is half to Crafty C. T. (Crafty Prospector), a Grade II winner who also placed in six Grade I events. Herself only a $39,000 2-year-old purchase, all six of Starship Warpspeed's foals to sell at auction went for six figures, including an unraced 3-year-old Outwork filly named Jemison who sold for $150,000 at Fasig-Tipton July and a juvenile Speightster filly named Blackheartedgypsy, who hammered to Shedaresthedevil's co-owner Flurry Racing Stables for $350,000 at Keeneland September in the wake of her Oaks success. She also has a yearling Exaggerator filly and dropped a colt by Uncle Mo Mar. 26 before being bred back to that superstar sire.

Sunday, Del Mar
CLEMENT L. HIRSCH S.-GI, $300,000, Del Mar, 8-1, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16m, 1:45.38, ft.
1–SHEDARESTHEDEVIL, 125, f, 4, by Daredevil
1st Dam: Starship Warpspeed, by Congrats
2nd Dam: Andria's Forest, by Forestry
3rd Dam: Andriana B., by Far North
($100,000 Wlg '17 KEENOV; $20,000 RNA Ylg '18 KEESEP;
$280,000 2yo '19 KEENOV). O-Flurry Racing Stables LLC, Qatar
Racing Limited & Big Aut Farms; B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY);
T-Brad H. Cox; J-Florent Geroux. $180,000. Lifetime Record:
15-8-2-4, $2,047,318. *1/2 to Mojovation (Quality Road), GSP,
$201,088. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Werk Nick Rating: B.
2–Venetian Harbor, 121, f, 4, by Munnings–Sounds of the City
(MSP, $293,399), by Street Cry (Ire). ($110,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP;
$205,000 RNA 2yo '19 OBSAPR). O-Ciaglia Racing LLC, Highland
Yard LLC, River Oak Farm & Domenic Savides; B-Colts Neck
Stables LLC (KY); T-Richard Baltas. $60,000.
3–Paige Anne, 121, f, 4, by Take Charge Indy–Forbidden Brew,
by Milwaukee Brew. ($120,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP). O-Elie &
Lori R. Feghali, Kimberly Mathiesen & Mathiesen Racing, LLC;
B-Richard Peardon (KY); T-Simon Callaghan. $36,000.
Margins: 3 1/4, 3 1/4, 7HF. Odds: 1.30, 2.10, 27.20.
Also Ran: As Time Goes By, Cover Version. Scratched: Clockstrikestwelve, Warren's Showtime.

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Cox To Start Adventuring, Royal Prince Kentucky Downs Preview Weekend At Ellis

Brad Cox is showing no signs of letting down after a year that saw him win the Eclipse Award as North America's outstanding trainer and a record-tying four Breeders' Cup races.

That extends to the RUNHAPPY Meet at Ellis Park in Henderson, Ky., where Cox has won a meet-leading 11 of 27 starts, with five seconds and three thirds. His haul can get even better as the stable figures to be in at least half of the eight stakes on tap next weekend for Kentucky Downs TVG Preview Weekend.

Entries were taken Sunday for Saturday's stakes quintet, with Royal Prince running in the $100,000 Kentucky Downs TVG Preview Dueling Grounds Derby at 1 1/8 miles on turf and Adventuring and Caldee in the $100,000 Kentucky Downs TVG Preview Dueling Grounds Oaks at 1 1/16 miles on grass. The Preview stakes are designed as stepping stones to Kentucky Downs' all-grass meet Sept. 5-13, with the Ellis Park winners getting a fees-paid berth in the corresponding stakes. While it's not part of the Preview series, Cox also has 2020 Indiana Derby winner Shared Sense in Saturday's Tri-State Overnight Stakes for older horses at a mile on dirt.

Cox also has Hieronymus for next Sunday's $100,000 Kentucky Downs TVG Preview Mint Million at a mile on turf. With entries for Sunday not taken until Thursday, it's possible the barn could have others running.

“Brad is the best, and he has very good stock everywhere, to be honest,” said Jorge Abrego, Cox's assistant overseeing the Ellis Park division.

So far this season Cox earned his first Triple Crown victory with 2-year-old champion Essential Quality winning the Belmont Stakes, then tacking on Saturday's Grade 2 Jim Dandy at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Mandaloun — who a week earlier captured Monmouth Park's Grade 1 Haskell upon a disqualification — would give Cox his first Kentucky Derby if the Bob Baffert-trained Medina Spirit is ultimately DQed because of a medication infraction.

Cox is No. 2 in North American purse earnings, his $16.79 million trailing only Steve Asmussen's $17.5 million (a margin that would be wiped out if Mandaloun becomes the Derby victor). Cox's 228 victories out of 522 starters heading into Sunday's racing reflect a 28-percent win rate. He's also averaging a whopping $29,879 every time he runs a horse. Both figures are second only to Baffert's 30 percent and $43,548 per-starter average among the top 40 trainers based on earnings.

While Shared Sense has been at Indiana Grand with Cox assistant Rick Giannini and Caldee has been at Keeneland, Abrego oversaw the final works Sunday morning for Royal Prince, Adventuring, and Hieronymus.

Royal Prince and Adventuring worked together and were officially clocked cruising a half-mile in :50.60 right after the track opened about 5:25 a.m.

“All week the horses galloped very well. We tried to make a good match-up today,” said Abrego, whose own timing of the works was a fifth-second faster. “They went the first three-eighths in :38, :49 4/5, (five-eighths in) 1:01 4/5 – very good for these two. I think both horses are ready for next week.”

A half-hour later, Hieronymus worked :49 flat in company.

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Owner-breeder Godolphin and Cox had been wanting to get the regally bred Adventuring on the turf, but her first three career starts in New Orleans were in races rained off the grass. She won the third by 6 1/2 lengths and followed that with victory in Turfway Park's Bourbonette Oaks over a synthetic surface. Back on the dirt, Pimlico's Black-Eyed Susan proved a debacle for Adventuring. Finally getting on turf, she was a close fifth in Churchill Downs' Tepin Stakes.

“I kind of think the filly likes the turf, but maybe wants it faster,” Abrego said. “We're trying to give her another shot here. I think firmer is better for her.”

Royal Prince already is a two-time stakes-winner on turf, down at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans, La., and Sam Houston in Houston, Texas. In his last two starts, he was second in Churchill Downs' War Chant and third in the Audubon. The son of Cairo Prince has experience at Ellis Park, having finished second at the track in his debut last summer.

“Royal Prince, the horse is very nice,” Abrego said. “I think he'll show up next week. I like the way the horses are doing.”

Hieronymus, whose first career victory came at Ellis Park, won Canterbury Park's Mystic Lake in his last start.

“He's a very honest horse, tries hard every time he runs,” the assistant trainer said. “Last week, he breezed in :51 (for a half-mile). He breezed good, but with company this week, he went in :48-and-3, a minute and 3. I'm very happy with his breeze. I think this horse will be tough next Sunday.”

Shared Sense made his first start as a 4-year-old in Indiana Grand's Michael Schaefer Memorial, tiring to fifth as the heavy favorite. The son of 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense finished fifth in last year's Ellis Park Derby.

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