Tag: gamine

Déjà Vu: Shedaresthedevil Springs 15-1 Upset For Cox, Geroux In Kentucky Oaks

Nothing is quite the same in 2020, and horse racing has been no exception. Churchill Downs' cavernous, nearly empty grandstands stood watch over Friday's Kentucky Oaks, delayed from the first Friday in May to September by the global coronavirus pandemic.

Fans may not have been present this year, but trainer Brad Cox must have felt a strong sense of déjà vu when he saddled Staton Flurry and Qatar Racing's Shedaresthedevil to post a 15-1 upset in the 3-year-old fillies' classic. Just one race prior, Cox had sent out his 2018 Kentucky Oaks winner Monomoy Girl to win the Grade 1 La Troienne.

“This is why you wake up every morning to get to win races like this,” Cox said. “This filly has been really impressive coming into the race and when she breezed with Monomoy Girl a couple weeks ago, we knew how well she was training. There were some tough fillies in the Oaks this year with Swiss Skydiver and Gamine. We are so thrilled to win a race like this, again, in our backyard. This has been a phenomenal day with Monomoy Girl winning the La Troienne then winning the Oaks with Shedaresthedevil. These are the days you dream of.”

Jockey Florent Geroux rode both champion Monomoy Girl and Shedaresthedevil to victory on Friday, and booted home a total of four winners on the Kentucky Oaks card.

“She had a great trip,” said Geroux. “She broke very sharp and I was able to stalk Gamine all the way. That was the plan, but sometimes plans don't always work out. Perfect plan today. The only question was whether or not I was going to be able to run her down. My filly ran an amazing race. It's been an amazing day.”

Shedaresthedevil came into the Oaks with wins in three of her five starts this year, but her long odds reflected the fact that she hadn't been successful against the division's top contenders. Her wins came in the G3 Indiana Oaks, an allowance race, and the G3 Honeybee, while she'd been beaten 13 1/4 lengths by Kentucky Oaks rival Swiss Skydiver in Oaklawn's G3 Fantasy Stakes back in May.

“We've taken the conservative route with this filly, kind of dodged the bullets,” Flurry explained. “We did that with the hope that we'd have a fresh horse for this.”

The strategy seems to have worked out, as Shedaresthedevil pulled away to win the Kentucky Oaks by 1 1/2 lengths. It was also the fastest Kentucky Oaks in history as Shedaresthedevil ran 1 1/8 miles over the fast main track in 1:48.28, besting Bird Town's 2003 time of 1:48.64.

A total of nine 3-year-old fillies lined up for the nine-furlong contest, including the supremely talented Gamine, who'd won her last two races by a combined total of over 35 lengths. Gamine went off at odds of 3-5, while G1 Alabama winner Swiss Skydiver, who'd also earned 40 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby by facing males in the G3 Blue Grass Stakes, was the second choice at 5-2.

As expected, the speedy Gamine went straight to the lead from post position five, and Swiss Skydiver pushed through from her position on the rail to try to be second. Shedaresthedevil broke to her left, and muscled her way over to keep pace pressure on Gamine through the early stages, keeping Swiss Skydiver boxed in on the inside.

Hall of Famer John Velazquez kept a tight hold on Gamine through a first quarter in 23.39 seconds, but Geroux also had Shedaresthedevil under a good hold just a length off the leader. Swiss Skydiver and Tyler Gaffalione were at the rail in third, while Donna Veloce tried to push her way into contention between rivals in fourth.

Just after the half-mile in :47.92, Velazquez left the rail open for a few strides and Gaffalione tried to send Swiss Skydiver on through. He didn't make the gap and Velazquez aimed Gamine back at the rail, causing Gaffalione to check and wait for the overland route along the outside.

That veteran move by Velazquez gave Geroux an opportunity with Shedaresthedevil, and he took full advantage, getting first run on Gamine around the far turn. Swiss Skydiver ended up swinging three-wide at the head of the lane, but Shedaresthedevil had already set her sights on the passing Gamine and hitting the wire first.

Shedaresthedevil dug in to put away Gamine by the three-sixteenths pole, then held of the late bid from Swiss Skydiver on her outside to win by 1 1/2 lengths. Gamine checked in third, while Speech got up to finish fourth. The remaining order of finish was: Tempers Rising, Hopeful Growth, Bayerness, Donna Veloce, and Dream Marie.

Trainer Ken McPeek wasn't displeased with the effort from runner-up Swiss Skydiver.

“She ran super,” McPeek said. “That other filly (Shedaresthedevil) has been training extremely well. I've been watching her. Tyler (Gaffalione) rode her good. That's horse racing. There's no guarantees. She's been training super. I actually wasn't as worried about Gamine as I was about another filly running a bang-up race. That's what happened.”

Meanwhile, Hall of Famer Bob Baffert had been hoping for a stronger return to two-turn racing for the super-talented Gamine.

“She hadn't gone long and we can always second guess ourselves,” Baffert lamented. “Maybe I should have run her longer or whatever. But the winner was tough, you have to give her credit.

“(Gamine) just didn't have it. Turning for home, she was in a good spot and she was late switching leads and she never does that. I don't know if she just got tired or whatever. But down the backside he couldn't have been any better, he was in the perfect spot. She just didn't have it there.”

Shedaresthedevil (center, maroon cap) out-finishes both Swiss Skydiver (left) and Gamine (right) to win the Kentucky Oaks

Bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm, Shedaresthedevil is out of the winning Congrats mare Starship Warpspeed. Initially sold for $100,000 as a weanling at the Keeneland November sale, the filly returned and did not meet her reserve when bidding stopped at $20,000 at the following year's Keeneland September sale.

Entered in race training with Norm Casse, Shedaresthedevil won on debut and was the first winner for her freshman sire, Daredevil, in June of 2019 at Churchill Downs. Qatar Racing purchased an interest in the filly and she was sent to west coast trainer Simon Callaghan, for whom she ran third in the G2 Sorrento, fourth in the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf, and second in the Anoakia Stakes.

Sent back through the Keeneland November sale at the end of her juvenile season, Shedaresthedevil brought a final bid of $280,000 from Staton Flurry, and Qatar Racing stayed in for the ride. The filly was sent to trainer Brad Cox, and kicked off her sophomore year with a second-place finish to stablemate Bonny South in an allowance at Oaklawn Park. She added the pair of graded stakes wins to her resume over the course of 2020, and the Kentucky Oaks win improves her overall record to 5-2-2 from 10 starts for earnings of over $1.2 million.

“As bad as 2020's been for everybody, this makes it a little bit better, for us,” Flurry said from the winner's circle.

Co-owner Staton Flurry celebrates with friends after Shedaresthedevil brings home the Kentucky Oaks trophy

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Goliath Versus Davids In the Kentucky Oaks

In this corner comes ‘TDN Rising Star‘ Gamine (Into Mischief), a filly by one of the world’s hottest and most fashionable sires who was purchased for a seven-figure price tag at public auction and has whitewashed Grade I rivals by a combined 25 3/4 lengths in her last two starts.

Sharing space in the other corner is Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil), a much more modest auction purchase, who is perfect in her last four against her own sex; and Speech (Mr Speaker), not quite as accomplished as her two chief rivals, but who should in no way be ignored in Friday’s GI Longines Kentucky Oaks.

A $220,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase, Gamine fetched a record-breaking $1.8 million at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale and nothing has finished ahead of her in four career starts. Bar one start, none of her rivals has come close. A maiden winner at first asking by open lengths, she crossed the line a neck better than Speech in a first-level Oaklawn allowance in what is her lone two-turn start to date. Subsequently disqualified for a drug positive, she earned a 110 Beyer for an 18 3/4-length jaw-dropper in the GI Longines Acorn S. going Belmont’s one-turn mile June 20 (by comparison, Tiz the Law was given a 100 for his Belmont score). Shortening up to seven furlongs for the GI Longines Test S., she set the pace from the fleet Venetian Harbor (Munnings) and ran away from her to hit the line seven lengths to the good.

The nine-furlong distance is the obvious question mark for Gamine heading into Friday, but if three-time Oaks-winning trainer Bob Baffert is feeling the pinch, he isn’t exactly showing it.

‘We know she’s fast and she’s done [two turns] before so it’s not like it’s new,” he said. “We’re just blessed we have a filly like this. We gave a lot of money for her and it’s worked out. A lot of times you do that and they don’t work out. We’re just enjoying her.”

Gamine is expected to be the speed of the Oaks, but Tyler Gaffalione should have Swiss Skydiver within shouting distance from the start. The $35,000 long-time Ken McPeek client Peter Callahan invested in the chestnut at Keeneland September two falls ago has proven to be money very well spent. While the margins of her victories have been less imposing than those posted by Gamine, the performances have been no less dominating.

The victims look the same–she defeated Venetian Harbor in a highly rated renewal of Oaklawn’s GIII Fantasy S. in May, then ventured to Speech’s home turf and took down her colors in the GII Santa Anita Oaks the following month. Hardly disgraced when second to Art Collector (Bernardini) in an audacious attempt at the GII Toyota Blue Grass S. July 11, she thrashed her rivals in the GI Alabama S. when last spotted Aug. 15. McPeek is looking forward to the challenge directly ahead.

“We ran on the same racetrack that weekend at Oaklawn and I don’t think there’s a lot separating them,” he said. “It’s going to be fun to watch. That’s what makes me confident. [Bob Baffert’s] filly is going to have to do something she hasn’t experienced and it’s something we’ve done over and over all year.”

Speech figures to sit a good trip in the Oaks, tracking the top two. The Florida-bred earned a richly deserved Grade I last time out in Keeneland’s Ashland S. July 11, earning a figure competitive with what Gamine and Swiss Skydiver have put up going two turns. A $65,000 short yearling at the 2018 OBS Winter Mixed Sale, Speech was bought back on a bid of $95,000 at Fasig-Tipton July that summer and fetched $190,000 at OBS March 18 months ago.

‘TDN Rising Star‘ Donna Veloce (Uncle Mo) was just touched off as the favorite in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies in just her second career start and makes his first start since soundly defeating Speech in the GIII Santa Ysabel S. at Santa Anita Mar. 8.

It seems only fitting that in the town the late Muhammad Ali called home, a true heavyweight battle looms in the minutes just prior to 6 p.m. Friday afternoon.

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‘We’ll See How Far She Can Carry That Speed’: Baffert Thrilled With Gamine Ahead Of Kentucky Oaks

Taking to the Churchill Downs surface at 9 a.m., Michael Lund Petersen's Gamine, the even-money, morning line favorite for the Kentucky Oaks, put in her final routine gallop under Humberto Gomez on Thursday as she aims to give trainer Bob Baffert his fourth win in the signature race for 3-year-old fillies. Should the daughter of Into Mischief prevail Friday, it would mark the first time Baffert has won the Oaks with the favorite since Silverbulletday achieved that feat in 1999.

“I thought (champion) Indian Blessing was brilliant but this filly, what she's done is amazing,” Baffert said of Gamine. “Her Acorn (an 18 ¾-length win) was….I did not expect that. And in the Test, she was probably training even better heading into that. She's doing well. We'll see how far she can carry that speed.”

Gamine heads into the Oaks have captured the Acorn (GI) and Test Stakes (GI) in her past two outings by a combined 25 ¾ lengths. Should her brilliance carry her to victory in the Oaks, she would also put Baffert in position to become the first trainer to notch the Oaks-Derby double since Ben Jones achieved the feat in 1952. Baffert has two entrants in the Kentucky Derby with Grade 1 winner Authentic and multiple graded stakes winner Thousand Words.

“Right now, I'm just trying to get them there,” Baffert said. “I took baby steps with (Gamine). Now that she's done what she's done, her resume looks great. She just needs to add the Oaks and that would be the cherry on top.”

Petersen purchased Gamine for $1.8 million out of the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Two-Year-Olds Training Sale and a win Friday would make her the highest-priced Oaks winner sold at public auction since Rags to Riches — a $1.9 million yearling purchase — was victorious in 2007.

“She's just a real elegant looking filly, a lot of leg on her,” Baffert said. “She looked like a queen (at the sale). We call her Queen Gamine. You don't know how they're going to pan out but once we started working with her, she showed right off the bat that she was going to be something special. But I had trouble getting her (entered in a race) because everybody knew about her at Santa Anita. It took me a month to get her in. Every time I entered her, they knew she was in there.”

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Siblings of Derby and Oaks Contenders on Offer at September Sales

With the racing and sales calendars turned upside down by the COVID-19 pandemic, buyers at the upcoming Keeneland September Sale and Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase will have a unique opportunity.

Typically, the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Kentucky Oaks–as well as the rest of the Triple Crown trail for that matter–are long over by the time the major yearling auctions take place. But with those marquee sophomore races pushed back to the first weekend in September, buyers could have a chance to purchase a sibling to this year’s Derby or Oaks winner–or next month’s GI Preakness S. hero–just days after their victory as many of the top contenders have close relatives in either the Fasig or Keeneland catalogues.

 

Siblings of Derby Contenders

  • Mission Impazible Half-Brother to TIZ THE LAW (F-T Hip 73)

Tiz the Law (Constitution) sits at the top of the Kentucky Derby leaderboard and will be heavily favored to take home the roses on the First Saturday in September. The flashy bay has been flawless this season with a quartet of graded successes, capped by ultra-impressive scores in the June 20 GI Belmont S. and Aug. 8 GI Runhappy Travers S.

Tiz the Law’s yearling half-brother by Mission Impazible–out of GSW Tizfiz (Tiznow)–will be offered early in the Fasig-Tipton sale as part of the 164-hip New York-bred contingent. The gray is consigned by Sequel New York on behalf of breeder Twin Creeks Farm.

 

Honor A. P. captured the GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby, which was run in June this year, and followed suit with a late-rallying second behind Thousand Words (Pioneerof the Nile) in the Shared Belief S. Aug. 1. He is number four on the Derby leaderboard.

Immaculately bred by George Krikorian, Honor A. P. is out of MGISW and millionaire Hollywood Story (Wild Rush), who is also the dam of SW Miss Hollywood (Malibu Moon), MGSP Hollywood Star (Malibu Moon) and MSP Hoorayforhollywood (Storm Cat). The bay was an $850,000 purchase out of the Hill ‘n’ Dale consignment a the 2018 renewal of this sale when held at its usual venue in Saratoga in August. John Sikura’s operation will offer Honor A. P.’s yearling half-sister by Curlin near the end of this year’s two-day sale.

 

  • American Pharoah Half-Brother to KING GUILLERMO

(Kee Hip 395)

King Guillermo (Uncle Mo), number five on the Derby leaderboard, blew up the tote when dominating the GII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby at odds of 49-1 back in March. The bay was last seen finishing second to the recently retired Nadal (Blame) in his division of the GI Arkansas Derby May 2.

Out of Slow Sand (Dixieland Band), King Guillermo has a yearling half-brother by American Pharoah in the Hunter Valley consignment at KEESEP. Bred by Carhue Investments, Grouseridge LTD and Marengo Investments, the colt was purchased by Ilse Smith Bloodstock for $190,000 at KEENOV.

 

  • Hard Spun Half-Brother to THOUSAND WORDS (Kee Hip 2727) The gritty Thousand Words (Pioneerof the Nile) made his way to number seven in the Derby standings. Winner of the GIII Robert B. Lewis S. earlier this year, the $1-million KEESEP buy was fourth in the GII San Felipe S. and looked like he might be off the Derby trail after finishing 11th in the Oaklawn S. in April. Rebounding with a second in the GIII Los Alamitos Derby in July, he bested favored GISW Honor A. P. In the Shared Belief S. last time Aug. 1.

Brookdale Sales consigns Thousand Words’ half-brother by Hard Spun at Keeneland. Bred in Florida by Hardacre Farm, the chestnut is out of MGSW Pomeroy’s Pistol (Pomeroy), who was purchased by Mike Ryan for $475,000 in foal to Arrogate at this year’s Keeneland January sale.

 

Dr Post (Quality Road) sits at number eight in the Derby standings after finishing second to Tiz the Law in the Belmont and third to Authentic (Into Mischief) in the GI TVG Haskell Invitational S. July 18.

Breeder Cloyce Clark purchased GSW Mary Delaney (Hennessy) with Dr Post in utero for $25,000 at Keeneland January. Eaton Sales offers her yearling filly from the first crop of Klimt at KEESEP.

 

  • Classic Empire Half-Sister to ATTACHMENT RATE (F-T Hip 99)

The Dale Romans-trained Attachment Rate (Hard Spun) sits at number 15 in the current Derby rankings. Third in the GIII Gotham S. back in March, the $200,000 KEESEP buy was most recently second to Art Collector (Bernardini) in the Runhappy Ellis Park Derby Aug. 9.

Machmer Hall Sales offers a yearling half-sister by Classic Empire during the postponed Fasig-Tipton Sale, typically held in August in Saratoga. Fergus Galvin purchased their dam Aristra (Afleet Alex) for $30,000 at KEENOV with this filly in utero. Unlike her VA-bred half-brother, the chestnut was born in New York and bred by Sequel Stallions NY and Lakland Farm.

 

  • Twirling Candy Half-Sister to NECKER ISLAND (Kee Hip 1410)

Necker Island (Hard Spun) is last, but not least on the leaderboard at number 19. Third in the GIII Indiana Derby July 8, he completed the trifecta in the Runhappy Ellis Park Derby Aug. 8.

His yearling half-sister by Twirling Candy will be up for grabs at Keeneland September. Out of Jenny’s Rocket (Mr. Greeley), the bay was bred by Stonestreet and is consigned by Elm Tree Farm.

 

Mr. Big News was a late addition to the field, announced Monday afternoon. Fifth in the GII Risen Star S. in February, he won the Oaklawn S. in April and was most recently sixth in the Blue Grass.

Don Alberto purchased Mr. Big News’s dam Unappeased (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) for $675,000 in foal to Speightstown at the 2013 KEENOV sale. They offer her yearling colt by Carpe Diem as part of the Small Batch Sales consignment at Keeneland.

 

Siblings of Oaks Contenders

  • Danzing Candy Half-Brother to SWISS SKYDIVER (F-T Hip 577)

Topping the list of Oaks contenders is Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil), who will likely vie with Gamine (Into Mischief) for race day favoritism. The chestnut filly has been on a tear this year, capturing the GII Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Park Oaks, GIII Fantasy S. and GII Santa Anita Oaks. She showed guts when finishing a strong second to late Derby defection Art Collector in the GII Toyota Blue Grass S. July 11 and completed her Oaks prepations with a win in the prestigious GI Alabama S. at Saratoga Aug. 15.

Checkmate Thoroughbreds will offer this leading lady’s yearling half-brother from the first crop of Danzing Candy, who was bred in California by Var Reeve and Stan Ray. Blue Chip Thoroughbreds purchased their dam Expo Gold (Johannesburg) with this colt in utero for $15,000 at the CTBA Sale in January.

 

  • Speightster Half-Sister to SHEDARESTHEDEVIL (Kee Hip 1182)

Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil) has held her own on the Oaks trail this season, landing her at number four on the leaderboard. Winner of the GIII Honeybee S. in March, the bay was third to Swiss Skydiver in the Fantasy and returned to winning ways in a Churchill optional claimer June 5. She captured the GIII Indiana Oaks last time out July 8.

Woodford Thoroughbreds offers Shedaresthedevil’s half-sister by breeder WinStar Farm’s young stallion Speightster at Keeneland. Their dam Starship Warpspeed (Congrats) is also responsible for GSP Mojovation (Quality Road).

 

‘TDN Rising Star’ Donna Veloce (Uncle Mo) is number eight in Oaks points, but will likely be one of the preferred fillies come the First Friday in September. A $450,000 KEESEP purchase turned $800,000 FTFMAR juvenile, the bay has made just one start this year, capturing the GIII Santa Ysabel S. Mar. 8 by 4 1/4 lengths over eventual GI Ashland S. victress Speech (Mr Speaker). She breezed five furlongs in 1:00.80 Friday, a move her trainer Simon Callaghan deemed impressive enough to go to the Oaks off of.

Her dan Coin Broker’s (Ire) (Montjeau) yearling filly by War Front is part of the Paramount Sales consignment during Book 1 of KEESEP. The filly is bred by Orpendale and Chelston.

 

Gamine (Into Mischief) may be number nine in the Oaks standings based on points, but she was granted morning-line favoritism at Monday’s draw. A $220,000 KEESEP yearling purchase, the ‘TDN Rising Star’ topped the EASMAY sale at
$1.8-million and proved worth the price tag, crossing the finish line first in all four of her starts. The bay was nothing short of sensational when dominating both the GI Acorn S. and GI Test S. this summer.

Barbara Banke of Stonestreet Stables purchased Gamine’s dam Peggy Jane (Kafwain) for $200,000 at OBS April and she was stakes-placed for her Grace Stables. Gainesway consigns Peggy Jane’s yearling filly by Ghostzapper, who was bred and raised at Stonestreet.

 

  • Run Away and Hide Half-Brother to HOPEFUL GROWTH

(Kee Hip 3763)

Right behind Gamine at number 10 is Hopeful Growth (Tapiture). Off the board in the GIII Delaware Oaks July 4, she returned to winning ways with a victory in the GIII Monmouth Oaks Aug. 1.

A half-sister to ill-fated GSW Ten City (Run Away and Hide), Hopeful Growth is out of the unraced Maiden America (Rock Hard Ten), whose latest son by Run Away and Hide will be available at KEESEP. Consigned by Darby Dan Farm, the bay colt is bred by Darby Dan principal John Phillips’ Phillips Racing Partnership.

 

Dream Marie (Graydar) is the last of the Oaks top 12. The gray was second in the GIII Delaware Oaks July 4 and was fourth last time in the GIII Monmouth Oaks Aug. 1.

Out of the Curlin mare Lin Marie, Dream Marie has a yearling half-sister by Anchor Down in the Fasig-Tipton Sale. Consigned by Wynnstay Sales, the dark bay filly was bred by Wynnstay in partnership with GWR Consultants.

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