TVG Features Live Coverage From Santa Anita, Oaklawn Park This Weekend

Swiss Skydiver, 2020's Eclipse champion 3-year-old filly and Preakness Stakes (G1) winner, will make her four-year-old debut live on TVG this weekend in the $300,000 Beholder Mile (G1), one of two graded stakes races on Santa Anita's nine-race card.

Todd Schrupp, Christina Blacker and Britney Eurton will be live at Santa Anita with exclusive interviews and expert analysis. Swiss Skydiver is scheduled to take on seven competitors in the $300,000 Beholder Mile, her first start since finishing seventh in the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) in November which concluded a sophomore season in which she won five graded stakes races, including a thrilling win in the Preakness Stakes over male rivals. Regular rider Robby Albarado will be aboard for owner Peter Callahan.

The road to the Kentucky Derby will continue through Arkansas on Saturday and TVG's Mike Joyce and Caton Bredar will be reporting live from Oaklawn Park throughout the twelve-race card featuring the $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2), a steppingstone towards the Arkansas Derby (GI) which is scheduled for April 10. The Rebel Stakes will offer 50-20-10-5 qualifying points to the top four finishers and has drawn a field of eight of some of the most promising 3-year-olds in the country. Trainer Bob Baffert, who saddled Nadal to victory in this race last year, will send out two runners – Hozier and Concert Tour – to take on the 9-5 morning line favorite Caddo River for trainer Brad Cox.

Saturday at Oaklawn will also feature the 8-year-old debut of Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) champion Whitmore for trainer Ron Moquett in the $200,000 Hot Springs Stakes. The Eclipse Award winning sprinter has won the Hot Spring Stakes for the past four consecutive years and will have Ricardo Santana, Jr. in the irons.

The 2020 Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Shedaresthedevil will also return to action on Saturday at Oaklawn in the $350,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) and face four rivals including recent Sam Houston Ladies Classic (G3) winner Letruska. The 4-year-old daughter of Daredevil will have Florent Geroux in the irons for trainer Brad Cox.

TVG will also be broadcasting from Gulfstream Park this weekend and Gabby Gaudet will be reporting live from the track with insights and interviews throughout the twelve-race card which features the $75,000 Silks Run Stakes, a five-furlong turf sprint.

In addition to racing from Santa Anita and Oaklawn Park, TVG will feature racing from Gulfstream Park, Aqueduct and more. Fans can tune in on TVG, TVG2 and the Watch TVG app which is available on Amazon Fire, Roku and connected Apple TV devices.

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Shedaresthedevil Makes Seasonal Bow in Azeri

GI Kentucky Oaks winner Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil) makes her first start of 2021 Saturday in the GII Azeri S. at Oaklawn. Victress of the GIII Honeybee S. at this oval last season, the bay rallied to be third behind champion Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) in Oaklawn's GIII Fantasy S. in May. She wired a Churchill optional claimer by six lengths a month later and romped in the GIII Indiana Oaks in July. Overlooked at 15-1 in the Oaks due to the presence of future champions Swiss Skydiver and Gamine (Into Mischief), Shedaresthedevil registered a 1 1/2-length decision over Swiss Skydiver on the First Friday in September and faded to third last time in the GI Juddmonte Spinster S. at Keeneland Oct. 4. Her trainer Brad Cox also saddles Getridofwhatailesu (Ghostzapper), who rallied from last-to-first in Oaklawn's Pippin S. last out Jan. 23.

Ken McPeek chose to send his champion Swiss Skydiver to the west coast for her seasonal bow, but is still represented here by Envoutante (Uncle Mo). Third in the GI Central Bank Ashland S. at Keeneland in July, the dark bay checked in fourth to her Eclipse-winning stablemate in the GI Alabama S. Aug. 15. Returning to winning ways in the GIII Remington Park Oaks Sept. 27, she went wire-to-wire in Churchill's GII Falls City S., dominating by six lengths Nov. 26.

Letruska (Super Saver) captured the GIII Shuvee S. at Saratoga in August, but faded to fourth next out after setting the pace in Belmont's GII Beldame Invitational S. Oct. 4. Running away to a 6 3/4-length score in Gulfstream's GIII Rampart S. Dec. 12, the bay scored a facile victory in the GIII Houston Ladies Classic S. last time Jan. 31.

Completing this small, but competitive field of five is Motion Emotion (Take Charge Indy). Runner-up in a pair of Oaklawn optional claimers last April, the bay checked in second to champion Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute) in Churchill's GII Fleur de Lis H. June 27. She was fourth in Saratoga's GI Personal Ensign S. Aug. 1 in her final start for trainer Richard Baltas and owners Abbondanza Racing, Mark DeDomenico and Medallion Racing. Motion Emotion was purchased by Spendthrift Farm for $800,000 at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale and My Racehorse joined in as partner. Transferred to Steve Asmussen, she finished fifth in the Houston Ladies Classic last time.

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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.

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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.

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