Shedaresthedevil

Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil) sat off a quick early pace, pounced at the five-sixteenths pole and edged clear in the lane to capture the GI Clement L. Hirsch S. Sunday at Del Mar, punching her ticket to the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff in the "Win and You're In" qualifier with her third Grade I victory. Bought into by Qatar Racing out of a debut victory for Norm Casse in June of 2019 and transferred to Simon Callaghan, the bay went winless in three subsequent starts as a juvenile, but still hammered...

Tabor, Magnier and Smith's As Time Goes By (American Pharoah) looks for her third straight win--and an automatic berth in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff--in the GI Clement L. Hirsch S. at Del Mar Sunday. The Bob Baffert trainee, second in the Mar. 13 GI Beholder Mile, romped home by 9 1/4 lengths in the Apr. 24 GII Santa Margarita S. She was all out to hold off This Tea (Curlin) in the May 22 GII Santa Maria S., but has been freshened since then and is training strongly...

With champion Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) and GI Breeders' Cup Distaff runner-up Valiance (Tapit) both late defections from Belmont's GI Ogden Phipps S. due to fevers, GI Apple Blossom H. heroine Letruska (Super Saver) will likely inherit favoritism in Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Distaff "Win and You're In" event. Closing out last term with a dominant score in the GIII Rampart S. at Gulfstream Dec. 12, the bay wired the GIII Houston Ladies Classic Jan. 31. She missed by a head to Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil), who also lines up here, in Oaklawn's...

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...

LOUISVILLE, KY - Now, this is much more like it. With a forecast calling for sunny skies and temperatures in the low 70s, the GI Kentucky Oaks returns to its traditional spot on the calendar Friday. While last year's delayed GI Kentucky Derby and Oaks were both conducted spectator-free over Labor Day weekend due to the COVID-19 pandemic, limited crowds of between 40,000-50,000--health and safety protocols in place and all-are expected to be on hand at Churchill Downs this weekend. Following the withdrawal of Ava's Grace (Laoban) earlier this week,...

Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil) looks to return to the scene of her career-best effort in Friday's GI La Troienne S. for two-turn fillies and mares. A debut winner here as a juvenile for prior connections, the bay took last March's GIII Honeybee S. at Oaklawn, but was a well-beaten third in the GIII Fantasy S. behind Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil). She returned to Louisville for a six-length optional claiming romp in June, and was similarly dominant in the GIII Indiana Oaks in July. Let go at 15-1 in last year's GI Kentucky Oaks...

GI Kentucky Oaks victress Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil) made her seasonal bow a successful win with a gritty victory in Oaklawn's GII Azeri S. Saturday. Dispatched as the 9-5 second-choice behind MGSW Letruska in this five-horse affair, the bay caught a flyer from the outside stall and was unchallenged on the front end through a :23.93 first quarter. Still on cruise control under Florent Geroux through a :47.79 half-mile, she was confronted by Letruska and Envoutante (Uncle Mo) to her outside with five-sixteenths left to run. Edging clear of her pursuers exiting...

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...

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 Kentucky Horse Racing Commission has awarded $14.3 million to qualified breeders through the Thoroughbred Breeders' Incentive Fund for Kentucky Thoroughbreds' wins in 2020. The incentive fund requires owners to board mares in Kentucky from the time of breeding until the birth of the foal. Incentive payments are based on the foal's eventual winnings on the racetrack. Last year, nearly 3,500 races were won by a Kentucky-bred receiving a breeder award. Kentucky-breds won over 245 graded stakes in the United States and 18 group races in Canada, England, France and...

A wise man changes his mind, but a fool never will. Such is the association between the commercial market and Daredevil (More Than Ready-- Chasethewildwind, by Forestry). Luckily for the third-crop sire, the market was quick to change its opinion and Lane's End jumped on the opportunity to bring him back. After Daredevil failed to attract mares to fill his fourth book in 2019, WinStar Farm accepted an offer from the Jockey Club of Turkey and the son of More Than Ready boarded a flight abroad for last year's breeding...

Keepmeinmind (Laoban) worked five furlongs in a bullet :59 at Oaklawn Tuesday morning in preparation for a start in the GIII Southwest S. Feb. 15. The fastest of 17 works published at the distance, the 3-year-old completed the final quarter-mile in a sharp :22.80, galloping out six furlongs in 1:11.80, seven furlongs in 1:25.40 and a mile in 1:40.40, according to local clockers. Accompanied by David Cohen, the winner of the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. last November worked over a fast track following the second break to renovate the...