December 22, 2024

Shedaresthedevil leads throughout in La Troienne

Shedaresthedevil
Shedaresthedevil, with Florent Geroux up, wins the La Troienne Stakes at Churchill Downs (Photography by Jamie Newell/TwinSpires)

Like stablemate Monomoy Girl before her, Shedaresthedevil added Friday’s $500,000 La Troienne S. (G1) at Churchill Downs to a Grade 1 tally that also includes the Louisville track’s signature event for fillies, the Kentucky Oaks (G1).

Favored at 17-10 against six rivals in the 1 1/16-mile fixture, Shedaresthedevil set a pace of :23.99, :47.94, and 1:11.71 under Florent Geroux. Challenged in upper stretch by Envoutante, who was attempting to rally up the inside, Shedaresthedevil repelled that rival under strong urging and won by one length in a time of 1:42.69 over a fast track.

“She had to battle down the lane. She always does,” trainer Brad Cox said. “She’s got a lot of heart and determination.”

Owned by Qatar Racing, Flurry Racing Stable, and Big Aut Farm, Shedaresthedevil returned $5.40. Envoutante finished second, two lengths ahead of Finite. Bajan Girl, Dunbar Road, Paris Lights, and Sanenus completed the order of finish.

Perfect in four lifetime starts at Churchill, Shedaresthedevil now sports a line of 13-7-2-3, $1,807,318. In addition to this and her Kentucky Oaks upset last September over champions Swiss Skydiver and Gamine, Shedaresthedevil also captured the Indiana Oaks (G3) and Honeybee (G3) last season.

Freshened after running third in the Spinster (G1) last October, Shedaresthedevil started 2021 on the right note, taking the March 13 Azeri (G3) at Oaklawn Park in wire-to-wire fashion by a head over Letruska, subsequent conqueror of dual champion Monomoy Girl in the Apple Blossom H. (G1).

“We’ll target the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) and work our way back from that,” Cox said. “There some obvious races in New York and one at Del Mar we are thinking about.”

Bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm and sold for $280,000 at Keeneland November at the end of her juvenile campaign, during which she was Grade 2-placed, Shedaresthedevil is by Daredevil and out of Starship Warpspeed, by Congrats.