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Kentucky Oaks Winner Shedaresthedevil Kicks Off 4-Year-Old Campaign In Oaklawn’s Azeri

Shedaresthedevil, a finalist for an Eclipse Award as the country's champion 3-year-old filly of 2020, will make her seasonal debut in the $350,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) for older fillies and mares Saturday at Oaklawn.

Probable post time for the Azeri, which goes as the fifth of 12 races, is 2:03 p.m. (Central). The 1 1/16-mile Azeri is the final major local prep for the $1 million Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) April 17.

Shedaresthedevil will be making her first start since finishing third in her first race against older horses, the $400,000 Spinster Stakes (G1) Oct. 4 at Keeneland. Shedaresthedevil had won her previous three starts, including the $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) Sept. 4 at Churchill Downs. The Kentucky Oaks, which was moved from the spring to the fall last year because of COVID-19, is the nation's biggest race for 3-year-old fillies.

Trained by Brad Cox, Shedaresthedevil returned to the work tab Feb. 1 at Oaklawn, then shipped to Fair Grounds because of anticipated winter weather. The daughter of Daredevil recorded four works at Fair Grounds, the last a 5-furlong move in 1:00.20 March 6, before returning to Hot Springs Wednesday. Cox indicated in January that Shedaresthedevil, the 2-1 program favorite, couldn't afford any training hiccups to make the Azeri, won last year by 2019 Kentucky Oaks champion Serengeti Empress.

“In a perfect schedule, I would have liked to have gotten a few more works into her,” Cox said. “But her last two works have been really, really good. Kind of really was the decision-maker. Her last two works have been well in hand. She's doing well. Her weight's good, so I feel confident she's going to run a good race. I don't think she's 100 percent tight, but she's very close.”

Shedaresthedevil was the top locally based 3-year-old filly last year, winning the $300,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3) before running third behind eventual divisional champion Swiss Skydiver in the $400,000 Fantasy Stakes (G3). Shedaresthedevil races for a partnership that includes Staton Flurry of Hot Springs.

The projected five-horse Azeri field from the rail out: Envoutante, Brian Hernandez Jr. to ride, 121 pounds, 5-2 on the morning line; Motion Emotion, Ricardo Santana Jr., 117, 6-1; Letruska, Joel Rosario, 124, 3-1; Getridofwhatailesu, Javier Castellano, 121, 3-1; and Shedaresthedevil, Florent Geroux, 119, 2-1.

Envoutante, a stablemate of Swiss Skydiver, will also be making her 4-year-old debut Saturday. Envoutante exits what trainer Kenny McPeek termed a “beast of a race,” a front-running six-length victory against older horses in the $200,000 Falls City Stakes (G2) Nov. 26 at Churchill Downs.

Speedy Mexican star Letruska (12 of 16 overall) was an allowance winner last April at Oaklawn and a front-running 3 ½-length winner of the $300,000 Houston Ladies Classic (G3) Jan. 31 at Sam Houston in her last start.

“I think she's the speed,” trainer Fausto Gutierrez said. “You check the numbers. Anyone that wants to run with her, needs to run fast. If we lose, we lose. But the other one is taking a big risk.”

Gutierrez said he hopes to use the Azeri as a steppingstone to the Apple Blossom, among the country's premier two-turn events for older fillies and mares.

Getridofwhatailesu, also trained by Cox, came from well off the pace to win the $150,000 Pippin Stakes Jan. 23 at Oaklawn in her last start. She has a 3-1-0 record in four career starts in Hot Springs.

“She obviously likes Oaklawn,” Cox said. “It looks like there's going to be some pace in there, so she might get a setup. Come-from-behind horses tend to do not as well in shorter fields, but if there's ever one that looked like she could do well in, it would probably be this one, based off just the paper.”

Completing the field is Motion Emotion, who chased Letruska in the Houston Ladies Classic before tiring to finish a well-beaten fifth in her first start for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.

Motion Emotion recorded sharp front-running maiden and allowance victories in 2019 at Oaklawn before finishing second in the Honeybee and Fantasy when with trainer Tom Van Berg.

The post Kentucky Oaks Winner Shedaresthedevil Kicks Off 4-Year-Old Campaign In Oaklawn’s Azeri appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Champion Swiss Skydiver Makes 4-Year-Old Debut In Saturday’s Beholder Mile

Last year's Eclipse Champion 3-year-old Filly, Swiss Skydiver arrived at Santa Anita from her Gulfstream Park base on Tuesday and is poised to make her 4-year-old debut as she heads a field of eight older fillies and mares in Saturday's Grade 1, $300,000 Beholder Mile at Santa Anita.

Trained by Kenny McPeek and owned by Peter J. Callahan, Swiss Skydiver, who defeated males two starts back in the Grade I Preakness Stakes, has been idle since running seventh at odds of 2-1 in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff at Keeneland Nov. 7.

Other prominent Beholder contenders include Simon Callaghan's multiple graded stakes winning Harvest Moon and Bob Baffert's scintillating recent allowance winner As Time Goes By.

Arguably the most incredible story in American racing last year, Swiss Skydiver, a Kentucky-bred daughter of Daredevil, out of the Johannesburg mare Expo Gold, ran at nine different tracks with six different jockeys in 10 starts from coast to coast, winning five, while running second twice and third once.

With four works on her comeback tab in February, Swiss Skydiver had her final work in preparation for the Beholder Mile this past Saturday at Gulfstream. Although McPeek had hoped for five furlong move in about a minute, she encountered unexpected company and was clocked in 58.09 breezing, best of 39 at the distance.

With all five of her wins coming in graded stakes, Swiss Skydiver was ultra impressive in her lone Santa Anita appearance, going gate to wire while taking the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks by four lengths on June 6 at odds of 3-5. Her first Grade 1 win came in Saratoga's iconic Alabama Stakes on Aug. 15, as she pressed the early pace en route to a resounding 3 ½ length score at even money.

In winning the Preakness Oct. 3, she got the jump on Kentucky Derby winner Authentic and was tenacious late in posting a neck victory over the eventual Breeders' Cup Classic winner and Horse of the Year. Well supported in the Distaff, Swiss Skydiver stumbled at the break and never threatened thereafter, ending the year with 2020 earnings of $1,794,320.

A first-out maiden winner going seven furlongs at age two on Nov. 16, 2019 at Churchill Downs, Swiss Skydiver, who will be ridden for the third consecutive time by Robby Albarado, is 12-6-3-1 overall with total earnings of $1,845,480.

Although a winner of four consecutive races, from her maiden victory on July 3 at Los Alamitos, through her victory here in the Grade 2 Zenyatta Stakes Sept. 27, Harvest Moon, a 4-year-old daughter of Uncle Mo, was dismissed at 16-1 in the Breeders' Cup Distaff Nov. 7, but ran a very respectable fourth, beaten 2 ½ lengths, after pressing the pace throughout. Owned by Alice Bamford and Michael B. Tabor, Harvest Moon was bred in Kentucky by Alice Bamford and is out of the Shamardal mare Qaraaba.

A two-time graded stakes winner, Harvest Moon will likely engage Swiss Skydiver early, thus ensuring a lively pace. With four wins from six starts, Harvest Moon has earnings of $340,720.

Heavily favored at odds-on in all four of her starts, As Time Goes By comes off a rollicking nine length one mile allowance win here on Jan. 17, as she pressed the early pace and crushed four rivals under Joel Rosario at 3-5. A four length maiden winner going six furlongs two starts back, As Time Goes By appears to be coming to her best in what will be her first stakes assignment.

A 4-year-old filly by 2015 Triple Crown Champion American Pharoah, As Time Goes By is out of the Dehere mare Take Charge Lady, who was a multiple graded stakes winner earner of more than $2.4 million that coincidentally, was trained by McPeek. Owned by Michael B. Tabor and Mrs. John Magnier, As Time Goes By will be ridden for the first time by Mike Smith.

THE GRADE 1 BEHOLDER MILE WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 8 of 9 Approximate post time 4 p.m. PT

Swiss Skydiver – Robby Albarado – 124
Golden Principal – Juan Hernandez – 120
Harvest Moon – Flavien Prat – 122
Sanenus – Umberto Rispoli – 122
Miss Story D – Tyler Baze – 120
As Time Goes By – Mike Smith – 12
This Tea – Abel Cedillo -120
Clockstrikestwelve – Tiago Pereira – 120

First post time for a nine-race card on Saturday is at 12:30 p.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com.

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First Mare Confirmed In Foal To Daredevil Since Stateside Return

Lane's End announced today that Daredevil, new to the farm's roster for 2021, has his first mare confirmed in foal since returning to the U.S.

The first confirmed mare is Striking Style by Smart Strike owned by Bill Harrigan, Mike Pietrangelo, and Caldara Farm. She is a half to graded-stakes placed Aquitaine, and out of the Grade 1 Hollywood Starlet-placed Rahy Dolly.

Daredevil is the only first-crop stallion to ever sire an individual winner of the Kentucky Oaks (Shedaresthedevil) and the Preakness Stakes (Swiss Skydiver). Swiss Skydiver was named champion 3-year-old filly to top off his exceptional start at stud.

Daredevil stands for $25,000.

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U.S. Mare Confirmed In Foal to Daredevil

Striking Style (Smart Strike) is the first mare confirmed in foal to Daredevil (More Than Ready–Chasethewildwind, by Forty Niner) since his return to the U.S., Lane's End announced Monday. The 10-year-old mare, owned by Bill Harrigan, Mike Pietrangelo and Caldara Farm, is a half-sister to graded-placed Aquitaine (Empire Maker).

Daredevil, the sire of GI Kentucky Oaks winner Shedaresthedevil and GI Preakness S. winner and champion 3-year-old filly Swiss Skydiver, stands at Lane's End for $25,000.

The post U.S. Mare Confirmed In Foal to Daredevil appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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