You can't keep the Brad Cox barn down for long. One race after previously unbeaten heavy favorite Aunt Pearl (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) finished a head-scratching fifth in the GII Edgewood S., the Eclipse-winning conditioner sent out last year's GI Kentucky Oaks winner Shedaresthedevil to a convincing victory as the chalk.
Three-for-three under the Twin Spires already, Shedaresthedevil was hard ridden to make the lead and was able to slow it down from there to post comfortable splits of :23.99, :47.94 and 1:11.74. They stacked up behind the leader heading for home, and Shedaresthedevil briefly looked like she might get beat–most likely by rail-skimming Envoutante–but she dug deep and found more in midstretch to pull clear again under the line.
“She loves to race at Churchill; she showed it again today,” rider Florent Geroux said. “They made me work hard for this. When we turned for home, she kept her head up and I could tell she was digging in. Those other fillies came to her but she showed a lot of heart and a lot of grit and I knew she wasn't going to let them by.”
Acquired by Flurry Racing Stables for $280,000 out of the 2019 Keeneland November sale off a pair of stakes placings at two, the bay was transferred from Simon Callaghan to Cox with previous co-owner Qatar Racing staying in for a piece. She was second to eventual MGSW stablemate Bonny South (Munnings) in an Oaklawn allowance last February, and annexed that venue's GIII Honeybee S. that March. A well-beaten third behind future champion 3-year-old filly Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) in the GIII Fantasy S. May 1, she was a six-length optional claiming winner under the Twin Spires the following month before dominating the GIII Indiana Oaks in July.
Let go at 15-1 for the Sept. 4 GI Kentucky Oaks, she proved best on the day while beating both Swiss Skydiver and odds-on Gamine (Into Mischief), who would go on to earn an Eclipse herself as champion female sprinter. Given the rest of the season off after a third in Keeneland's GI Juddmonte Spinster S. Oct. 4, Shedaresthedevil bested Letruska (Super Saver) by a head in Oaklawn's Mar. 13 GII Azeri S. That performance was flattered significantly when Letruska returned to down Shedaresthedevil's superstar stablemate Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) in the GI Apple Blossom H. Apr. 17.
“This is huge,” said Cox. “She has been training really well coming up to this. We freshened her up after the Spinster last year. We didn't want to try and chase the [GI] Breeders' Cup Distaff. It was obviously the right move. She's moved forward at four. She's shown that in her two starts. She has a lot of fight and determination down the lane. She showed that again today down the lane. She's now a Grade I winner at four. We'll target the Breeders' Cup Distaff and work our way back from that. There some obvious races in New York and one at Del Mar we are thinking about.”
Friday, Churchill Downs
LA TROIENNE S. PRESENTED BY TWINSPIRES.COM-GI, $500,000, Churchill Downs, 4-30, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16m, 1:42.69, ft.
1–SHEDARESTHEDEVIL, 123, 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 and Big Aut Farms; B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY);
T-Brad H. Cox; J-Florent Geroux. $303,800. Lifetime Record:
13-7-2-3, $1,807,318. *1/2 to Mojovation (Quality Road), GSP,
$196,388. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Werk Nick Rating: B.
2–Envoutante, 118, f, 4, by Uncle Mo
1st Dam: Enchante (MSP, $153,172), by Bluegrass Cat
2nd Dam: Wear, by Arch
3rd Dam: Abrade, by Mr. Prospector
($250,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP). O-Walking L Thoroughbreds, LLC
and Three Chimneys Farm; B-Jumping Jack Racing LLC (KY);
T-Kenneth G. McPeek. $98,000.
3–Finite, 118, f, 4, by Munnings
1st Dam: Remit (MSW, $257,556), by Tapit
2nd Dam: Free Spin, by Olympio
3rd Dam: Spin n Win, by Private Account
($200,000 2yo '19 EASMAY). O-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC,
Reiman, Thomas J., Dickson, William and Easter, Deborah A.;
B-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen.
$49,000.
Margins: 1, 2, HF. Odds: 1.70, 3.70, 10.60.
Also Ran: Bajan Girl, Dunbar Road, Paris Lights, Sanenus (Chi).
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
Pedigree Notes:
  Shedaresthedevil is one of two Grade I/graded winners for her sire Daredevil with the other being Swiss Skydiver. She is also one of five stakes winners for the young stallion, who was repatriated from Turkey by Lane's End to stand the 2021 seasson. The 4-year-old filly is one of three graded victors and nine black-type scorers out of a daughter of Congrats. She is bred on the same More Then Ready/A.P. Indy Cross as MGSW Hungry Island. The winner's dam Starship Warpspeed is also responsible for a juvenile filly named Blackheartedgypsy (Speightster), purchased for $50,000 at KEESEP by Flurry Racing Stables; a yearling filly by Exaggerator; and an Uncle Mo colt foaled Mar. 26. Shedaresthedevil hails from the family of GSW & MGISP Crafty C.T. (Crafty Prospector).
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