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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.

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Caddo River Makes First Start Since June At Oaklawn Sunday

After beginning 2021 with a bang, Caddo River will try to go out with a bang when the star-crossed 3-year-old returns in Sunday's eighth race at Oaklawn in Hot Springs, Ark., a one-mile conditioned allowance test that will mark the colt's first start in more than six months.

Caddo River, a homebred for John Ed Anthony of Hot Springs, hasn't run since finishing a well-beaten sixth in the $400,000 Grade 1 Woody Stephens Stakes June 5 at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. Caddo River ran three times at the 2021 Oaklawn meeting. The speedy son of Hard Spun registered a record-setting 10 ¼-length victory in January's $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes at one mile – Oaklawn's first of four Kentucky Derby points races – before finishing fifth in the $1 million G2 Rebel Stakes in March and second in the $1 million G1 Arkansas Derby in April.

After being withdrawn from Kentucky Derby consideration because of a minor illness, Caddo River received a lengthy vacation following a flat performance in the seven-furlong Woody Stephens.

“We just gave him time,” trainer Brad Cox said Thursday afternoon. “He had no injury. Just time and freshen him up. To try to make the Derby and all that, it's very demanding on a horse. It felt like it had kind of taken its toll between all of that, the whole winter. The race in the Woody Stephens was not what we were looking for, so we gave him time and he's come back and trained very, very well. I think this is a really good race to get him back going.”

Caddo River resumed training in late summer/early fall, Cox said, and returned to the work tab at Blackwood Stables in Kentucky before moving to the trainer's barn at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. Caddo River breezed three times in November at Churchill Downs and has logged three works in his return to Oaklawn, including a six-furlong bullet (:59.80) Dec. 4.

Facing older horses for the first time Sunday, Caddo River is the 8-5 program favorite and scheduled to break from the rail under regular rider Florent Geroux. Also entered in the projected eight-horse lineup is Irish Unity, runner-up in the $250,000 St. Louis Derby for 3-year-olds Aug. 28 at FanDuel Sportsbook and Horse Racing in Collinsville, Ill., for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.

Cox said Caddo River's comeback race could help determine where he stands among the trainer's deep roster of older horses in 2022.

“We have Plainsman there as well,” Cox said, referring to the multiple G3 winner he trains for Anthony. “We have Warrior's Charge, Night Ops, Shared Sense is down here (Fair Grounds). We have Mandaloun, Concert Tour. We have a very good group of horses. Listen, he's going to have to step up. He was a very, very good 2-3-year-old. Some of them take those steps forward, some of them don't. If he takes a step forward, he'll be fine and, hopefully, he will be a player in the handicap division there.”

Caddo River has amassed $404,092 in earnings after compiling a 2-3-0 mark from seven lifetime starts. Caddo River broke his maiden by 9 ½ front-running lengths at one mile in November 2020 at Churchill Downs before winning the Smarty Jones, his stakes debut, in his next start.

Probable post time for Sunday's eighth race is 3:46 p.m. Central. In Sunday's sixth race, Cox is scheduled to send out unbeaten Como Square in an entry-level allowance sprint for 2-year-old fillies. Another Anthony homebred, Como Square is by super sire Into Mischief and a half-sister to Caddo River. Como Square exits a 4 ¾-length debut victory Nov. 11 at Indiana Grand in Shelbyville, Ind.

Caddo River and Como Square are out of the Anthony-raced Pangburn, a daughter of Congrats who was an allowance winner in 2015 at Oaklawn.

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Sunday’s Racing Insights: Marr Time Takes on Winners

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6th-GP, $60K, Msw, 2yo, f, 7f, 2:55 p.m. ET
Kelly Breen-trained firster American Pyramid (American Pharoah) is the first foal out of fellow Arlene London homebred Miss Sky Warrior (First Samurai), who started a five-race winning streak as a fall juvenile herself that included a local victory in the GII Davona Dale S. and culminated in a 13-length romp in the GII Gazelle S.

Emory Hamilton's Friendship Road (Quality Road) is out of GSP turfer Tokyo Time (Medaglia d'Oro), and a half to recent GI Cigar Mile H. fourth Olympiad (Speightstown). Her dam is a half to local GSW Soaring Empire (Empire Maker), MGSW/MGISP Hungry Island (More Than Ready) as well as the dam of GISW Preservationist (Arch).

Greatitude (Dialed In) was a $9,000 KEESEP yearling turned $230,000 OBSMAR grad off a :10 flat breeze. She was third beaten just a neck in her muddy Aqueduct unveiling going this distance Nov. 12, and was flattered when the runner-up came back to graduate decisively at the same level. She hails from a deep Ned Evans family.

Beravina (Munnings) looks to go one better off a runner-up outing at Churchill Nov. 13. The $55,000 KEESEP RNA owns a field's-best 71 Beyer Speed Figure. TJCIS PPs

6th-OP, $100K, Alw/OC, 2yo, 6f, 3:51 p.m. ET
Clarkland Farm's regally bred Marr Time (Not This Time) takes the next step here as one of two entered for Brad Cox. The bay homebred is a half to none other than super sire and GISW Into Mischief (Harlan's Holiday), future Hall of Famer Beholder (Henny Hughes) and young sire and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Mendelssohn (Scat Daddy). She earned 'TDN Rising Star' status for a front-running 2 3/4-length score at Keeneland Oct. 28 over a next-out winner.

“Marr Time, she's obviously got a big pedigree,” Cox said. “Fast filly. Hopeful that this is the next step to stretching her out. We like her. She's pretty classy.”

Cox will also be represented by Shortleaf Stable homebred Como Square (Into Mischief), who took her Indiana unveiling in the mud Nov. 11. Out of SW and MGSP Pangburn (Congrats), she's a half to last year's local Smarty Jones S. winner and GI Arkansas Derby runner-up Caddo River (Hard Spun), who makes his first start since June two races later on the card.

Parlance (Maclean's Music) owns a standout 81 Beyer Speed Figure that she earned for a four-length second-out score at Churchill Nov. 13. The $100,000 KEESEP yearling was fifth on debut, and hails from the extended female family of GSWs Mission Impazible, Forest Camp and Spanish Empire. TJCIS PPs

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Juvenile Marr Time, Half-Sister To Beholder, Returns In Oaklawn Allowance On Sunday

She has a chance to do something her famous mother couldn't – win at Oaklawn.

Unbeaten Marr Time faces winners for the first time in Sunday's sixth race, an entry-level allowance sprint for 2-year-old fillies for trainer Brad Cox and breeder/owner Clarkland Farm (Fred Mitchell). Marr Time is by the top young sire Not This Time, but it's her dam's name that turns heads. Marr Time is out of Leslie's Lady, making her a half-sister to four-time Eclipse Award winner and future Hall of Famer Beholder, super sire Into Mischief and Grade 1 winner Mendelssohn.

Marr Time, as the 3-5 favorite, was a front-running 2 ¾-length winner of her Oct. 28 career debut at Keeneland. Florent Geroux, Oaklawn's leading rider through the first six days of the 2021-2022 meeting, has the return call on Marr Time, who is scheduled to break from post 2 in the projected eight-horse field.

“Marr Time, she's obviously got a big pedigree,” Cox said Thursday afternoon. “Fast filly. Hopeful that this is the next step to stretching her out. We like her. She's pretty classy.”

Marr Time has worked twice at Oaklawn in advance of her local debut. She recorded a 5-furlong bullet (:59.60) Dec. 5 and covered a half-mile in :48.40 Dec. 12. Marr Time will be racing on Lasix for the first time Sunday.

“She's a big, beautiful filly,” Cox said. “We'll see how it goes.”

Leslie's Lady ran in three sprints at the 1999 Oaklawn meeting for Bob Holthus, Oaklawn's all-time leading trainer, and owner James T. Hines Jr. Leslie's Lady, a daughter of Tricky Creek, finished second to stablemate The Happy Hopper in the $50,000 Martha Washington Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, fifth as the heavy favorite in an allowance event and fourth in the $35,000 America's First Lady Stakes. Holthus and Hines' estate later campaigned 2006 Arkansas Derby and Rebel winner Lawyer Ron.

Clarkland Farm purchased Leslie's Lady for $100,000 at the 2006 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. She was named 2016 Broodmare of the Year by the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association and Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders. Leslie's Lady, 25, was pensioned last spring, with Marr Time her penultimate foal.

Not This Time, by Giant's Causeway out of Oaklawn stakes winner Miss Macy Sue, finished second in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) in 2016.

Probable post time for Sunday's sixth race is 2:51 p.m. (Central).

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