As much as trainer Brad Cox's arsenal for the Breeders' Cup will not include two-time Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) winner Monomoy Girl, he still figures to have one of the top contenders in the year's richest and most important dirt race for fillies and mares.
Once again, Cox's second Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner put on a demonstration of her grit and speed as Shedaresthedevil set the early pace and then held off a determined rail bid from Crystal Ball to take the $400,000 Locust Grove Stakes (G3) by a neck Sept. 18 at Churchill Downs.
Though Saturday's late-night victory gave the daughter of Daredevil a spotless 5-for-5 record at Churchill Downs, she's hardly a run-of-the-mill horse for the course. Among her four wins in five 2021 starts for Qatar Racing, Flurry Racing Stables, and Big Aut Farms is a trip to California, where in her previous start the 4-year-old won the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes (G1) at Del Mar, site of the Nov. 6 Distaff.
"She loves Churchill Downs and she does it on her own speed. There was plenty in the tank there. But she also won the Clement Hirsch at Del Mar, and that was the point of bringing her there," said Sheikh Fahad Al Thani, chairman of Qatar Racing, referencing his filly's successful run over the surface for the Breeders' Cup.
As much as Letruska is the current favorite to emerge as the champion older dirt female, Shedaresthedevil could pose a formidable obstacle for her. The two multiple grade 1 winners have already squared off twice this year, with Shedaresthedevil beating Letruska in the Azeri Stakes (G2) and Letruska turning the tables in the Ogden Phipps Stakes (G1) in their most recent encounter.
"It's 1-1 at the moment," Sheikh Fahad said about the rivalry with Letruska. "We're very excited about November and maybe we'll see more of her."
A winner of nine of 16 starts with earnings of $2,291,458, Shedaresthedevil worked much harder than her 3-5 odds and the soft early fractions would have indicated.
After quickly busting out of the starting gate and taking a length lead after an opening quarter-mile in :24.32, she was still cruising along under regular rider Florent Geroux with that same lead through a comfortable :48.30 half-mile in the 1 1/16-mile test.
Turning for home, Shedaresthedevil seemed poised to pull away in the stretch, but she could not put away Crystal Ball, who moved to challenge the leader from a tight hole just inside her on the rail.
At the eighth pole, Shedaresthedevil still led by a length but WinStar Stablemates Racing's Crystal Ball and Tyler Gaffalione were slowly cutting into the margin. The daughter of Malibu Moon made it close but was unable to get past the favorite ($3.20), who covered the distance in 1:42.86.
"The spot wasn't quite there for (Crystal Ball) to go by around the first turn. We ended up sitting just off the pace. Around the far turn we got room on the inside and she ran a great race but it just wasn't enough. I'm really proud of the effort she showed tonight," said Gaffalione.
Grade 1-placed Crystal Ball, who was coming off a third in the Shuvee Stakes (G3) for trainer Rodolphe Brisset, finished 1 1/2 lengths ahead of Walking L Thoroughbreds and Three Chimneys Farm's Envoutante, an Uncle Mo filly trained by Ken McPeek.
Bred by WinStar Farm out of the Congrats mare Starship Warpspeed, the 4-year-old Shedaresthedevil was bought by Flurry Racing Stables for $280,000 from the Hunter Valley Farm consignment at the 2019 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.
She was the fourth foal from Starship Warpspeed, who has also produced grade 3 placed Mojovation (Quality Road ) and has an Exaggerator yearling filly and an Uncle Mo weanling colt.
"Florent gave her a really good trip. She's a very classy filly and knows how to fight to get things done. She's proven how well she's done here at Churchill and this was a good spot to get her ready for the Breeders' Cup," Cox said.
