Shedaresthedevil improves her sterling Churchill record with win in Fleur de Lis
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Shedaresthedevil made amends for her only defeat at Churchill Downs with a decisive victory Saturday in the 47th running of the Grade 2, $345,000 Fleur de Lis on the Stephen Foster undercard.
Shedaresthedevil sat a poised second behind Super Quick as the 1 1/8-mile Fleur de Lis unfolded, before powering home a 1 3/4-length winner. Florent Geroux gave a flawless ride aboard Shedaresthedevil, who paid $4.80 in a field of just five fillies and mares. She finished in 1:49.17 over a fast track.
“Our filly showed her class down the stretch and got the job done,” trainer Brad Cox said afterward. “I’m really proud of her.”
Shedaresthedevil now has won 10 of 20 starts and earned $2,729,458. She is 6 for 7 at Churchill, including her breakthrough score in the 2020 Kentucky Oaks. The 5-year-old Daredevil mare had lost three straight before the Fleur de Lis, including a runner-up finish in the Grade 1 La Troienne on May 6, her lone defeat over her home track.
“It’s nice to get her back into the win column this year,” said Cox. “She’d been training great and had been acting like she was ready to do something like this.”
Super Quick held second under Joe Talamo, another 3 1/2 lengths before La Troienne winner Pauline’s Pearl, who never posed a real threat as the slight 7-5 favorite. She’s All Wolfe and Ava’s Grace rounded out the order.
This was the third start for Shedaresthedevil since Mandy Pope’s Whisper Hill Farm bought majority interest in her last fall. While Qatar Racing and Flurry Racing stayed on as co-owners, the Kentucky-bred mare raced under the Whisper Hill fuschia and yellow silks.
Unlike in prior years, the Fleur de Lis was not a Win and You’re In event toward the Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Nonetheless, that Nov. 5 race at Keeneland will be the year-end goal for her, said Cox.
“We’ll work backward from that,” he said.
The $2 exacta (5-1) paid $14.40 and the $1 trifecta (5-1-4) returned $10.80.