Daredevil Cruises to Victory in Champagne

Favored Daredevil cruised to victory in the $500,000 Champagne Stakes (gr. I) on a sloppy track at Belmont Park Oct. 4, handing trainer Todd Pletcher his third consecutive win in the prestigious race .

Let's Go Stable's winning 2-year-old son of More Than Ready   scored by 2 1/2 lengths after taking the lead from pacesetter Holy Boss coming out of the turn. With Javier Castellano aboard, Daredevil's final time was 1:36.62 for the one-turn mile on a sealed surface.

The chestnut colt, sent off at odds of 17-10, remained unbeaten in two starts after drubbing a maiden group by 6 1/4 lengths Sept. 13 on a muddy Belmont track going six furlongs.

"I thought it was very impressive," said Pletcher after recording his sixth overall win in the Champagne. "He rated kindly and did everything you would hope one would do. He finished really well and I couldn't be more pleased. His training for us has been really impressive in the mornings.



"We'd never breezed him on an off track, so I was a little concerned running him the first time, but we felt pedigree-wise he would handle it, and he obviously does. He trains like a good horse on fast dirt, too."

The victory carries an automatic fees-paid berth to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Nov. 1 at Santa Anita Park as part of the Cup's "Win & Your're In" promotion.

The winner is out of the Forty Niner mare Chasethewildwind, and was bred in Kentucky by Marianne and Brandon Chase.

Upstart was second, with The Truth Or Else third in the field of six.

Breaking from the outside post, Daredevil showed good speed early while racing in second or third as Holy Boss took the compact field through quarter-mile splits of :22.97 and :46.22. Advancing three wide around the turn Daredevil reached the quarter pole a head in front in 1:11.36 over the weakening Holy Boss.



Daredevil took command in the stretch run when allowed to run by Castellano, opening by at least three lengths, and proved much the best.



Upstart kicked in for the drive to gain the runner-up spot with Jose Ortiz aboard. It was 12 3/4 lengths back to third-place finisher The Truth Or Else, the longest shot in the field at 18-1 ridden by Cornelio Velasquez. El Kabeir, Holy Boss, and Saratoga Special (gr. II) winner I Spent It completed the order.



The victory was worth $300,000 for Daredevil, who has now banked $345,000 in his brief career.



"He's a special horse,"Castellano said. "I worked him last weekend (a four-furlong breeze on the training track Sept. 28 in :48.11) and he was very impressive the way he did it. He didn't do anything much today; he just galloped along.

"The one thing I told Todd just now is that he reminded me of Bernardini   when he won the Jim Dandy (gr. II). He just splashed along today; he liked the track. He'll do whatever you ask him to."



Under equal weights of 122 pounds, Daredevil paid $5.40, $4, and $2.80, keying a $24.40 exacta with the stakes-winning New York-bred Upstart, who returned $4.30 and $3.10. The Truth Or Else paid $4.50 to show.



Daredevil was a $260,000 buy at the Keeneland Association September 2013 Yearling Sale by Pletcher as agent for Let's Go Stable though consignor Gainesway.



His dam, Chasethewildwind, is out of the multiple graded stakes-winning Sunny's Halo mare Race the Wild Wind, winner of the 1993 Santa Maria Handicap (gr. I). Daredevil is a half brother to $1.3 million earner Albertus Maximus  , who captured the 2009 Donn Handicap (gr. I).



Pletcher's Champagne streak includes victories by juvenile champion Shanghai Bobby   in 2012 and Havana last year. He earlier won the race with Proud Accolade in 2004, Scat Daddy   in 2006, and juvenile champ Uncle Mo   in 2010.