Shedaresthedevil Returns to Action in Spinster Stakes

With a bevy of top-level races and several paid berths in the Breeders' Cup World Championships on the line this weekend, trainer Brad Cox opted to stay in Kentucky to personally prep his horses for the start of the fall meet at Keeneland. 

"There are four grade 1 races here (in which we are entered), so I figured I'd better stay here," said Cox, who will send out eight other runners in stakes races at Pimlico Race Course in Maryland. "I sent my son Blake and my assistant from Indiana Grand (Ricky Giannini) to Pimlico."

Among those runners making their next starts for Cox in Lexington is his newly crowned classic winner Shedaresthedevil. Almost one month since she shot to the top of her division with a score in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1), the Daredevil filly will look to repeat the magic she created at Churchill Downs when she headlines the field in the $400,000 Juddmonte Spinster Stakes (G1) Oct. 4. 

Shedaresthedevil has performed with admirable consistency throughout her sophomore year. The filly, who will be making her Keeneland debut, has won four of her six starts this year and hit the board in the other two. She earned stakes wins in the March 7 Honeybee Stakes (G3) at Oaklawn Park and July 8 Indiana Oaks (G3) at Indiana Grand, which she used as a springboard to the Kentucky Oaks. 

Campaigned by Flurry Racing Stables, Qatar Racing Limited, and Big Aut Farms, Shedaresthedevil has never finished worse than fourth in 10 starts. Florent Geroux, who had the call in the Oaks, will partner the filly again from post 3. 

Making her Kentucky debut is California invader Ollie's Candy. Owned by Paul and Karen Eggert and trained by John Sadler, the 5-year-old Candy Ride  mare brings a considerable résumé of stakes experience. 

In 2020, Ollie's Candy has been slightly less successful than Shedaresthedevil but no less consistent. The mare has hit the board in all four starts—all at the highest level. She finished second in the April 18 Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) at Oaklawn and the Aug. 2 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes (G1) at Del Mar and third in the March 14 Beholder Mile Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita Park and June 13 Ogden Phipps Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park. 

Ollie's Candy last visited the winner's circle in 2019 when she took the Clement L. Hirsch. The mare put in her final pre-race work Sept. 26 at her Santa Anita base, logging five furlongs in 1:00 on the main track. Joel Rosario will have the call from post 2. 

Fresh off a turf win is Valiance. Trained by Todd Pletcher, the 4-year-old Tapit  filly took the Aug. 29 Eatontown Stakes at Monmouth Park by 1 1/2 lengths. Pletcher said the filly has been training well on the dirt leading up to the 1 1/8-mile Spinster and believes she will have ample opportunity to show off her turn of foot Sunday. 

"She's coming off the turf win at Monmouth but has been training really well on the dirt," Pletcher said of the filly owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Martin Schwartz, and China Horse Club. "We figured that this was an opportunity for her to take a shot at the big leagues." 

Luis Saez will partner with Valiance from post 5. 

The Spinster is a Breeders' Cup Challenge race that offers an automatic berth in the $2 million Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

Entries: Juddmonte Spinster S. (G1)

Keeneland, Sunday, October 04, 2020, Race 9

• Grade I
• 1 1/8m
• Dirt
• $400,000
• 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 5:45 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Saracosa (KY)	Martin Garcia	124	Cipriano Contreras	15/1
2	2Ollie's Candy (KY)	Joel Rosario	124	John W. Sadler	2/1
3	3Shedaresthedevil (KY)	Florent Geroux	121	Brad H. Cox	7/5
4	4Our Super Freak (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	124	Cherie DeVaux	12/1
5	5Valiance (KY)	Luis Saez	124	Todd A. Pletcher	4/1
6	6Lady Kate (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	124	Eddie Kenneally	4/1