Shedaresthedevil upsets Gamine, Swiss Skydiver in Kentucky Oaks

The flashy Gamine and barnstorming Swiss Skydiver presented a two-edged challenge Friday at Churchill Downs. Long shot Shedaresthedevil took them both on and became a Kentucky Oaks champion.

Shedaresthedevil, sent off at 15-1, pressed pace setter Gamine, then outlasted Swiss Skydiver to the wire. She made the 1 1/8 miles in a stakes-record 1:48:28 to win the Grade 1, $1.25 million event.

Brad Cox trains the 3-year-old Daredevil filly. Shedaresthedevil posted a pair of Grade 3 victories this season, including last out July 8 in the Indiana Oaks, but did not enter Friday’s Kentucky Oaks with the resume of Gamine and Swiss Skydiver.

Gamine, the 3-5 favorite, scored open-lengths wins this summer at Belmont Park in the Acorn Stakes (G1) and at Saratoga in the Test Stakes (G1). Swiss Skydiver, the 5-2 second choice, entered off a victory in Saratoga’s Alabama (G1), one of four graded wins she has scored in 2020 at four different tracks.

But Friday belonged to Shedaresthedevil.

“This is why you wake up every morning to get to win races like this,” Cox said.

The trio of Gamine, Shedaresthedevil and Swiss Skydiver all broke sharply to run three abreast the first time by the finish line.

Gamine moved up to assume the lead, with jockey Florent Geroux and Shedaresthedevil in second a half-length outside of her. Swiss Skydiver followed along the rail as Gamine set fractions of :23.39, :47.92 and 1:12.12.

Turning for home, Shedaresthedevil pulled up alongside Gamine to run nose-to-nose. Meanwhile, jockey Tyler Gaffalione found running room for Swiss Skydiver outside of those two, setting up a three-way battle down the stretch.

Gamine faded while Shedaresthedevil powered ahead in the final furlong. Swiss Skydiver gave it her all but came home a length behind Shedaresthedevil.

“She had a great trip,” Geroux said. “She broke very sharp and I was able to stalk Gamine all the way. That was the plan, but sometimes plans don’t always work out. Perfect plan today.

“The only question was whether or not I was going to be able to run her down. My filly ran an amazing race.”

Shedaresthedevil returned $32.20 to give Cox a second Kentucky Oaks victory over the last three years. The Louisville, Ky., native also won this event with Monomoy Girl in 2018.

Monomoy Girl, now a 5-year-old, won the La Troienne (G1) for Cox and Geroux one race prior to the Kentucky Oaks. Shedaresthedevil worked in company with that champion in the lead up to Friday’s race.

“When she breezed with Monomoy Girl a couple weeks ago, we knew how well she was training,” Cox said. “These were some tough fillies in the Oaks this year with Swiss Skydiver and Gamine. We are so thrilled to win a race like the Oaks, again, in our backyard.

“This has been a phenomenal day with Monomoy Girl winning the La Troienne then winning the Oaks with Shedaresthedevil. These are the days you dream of.” 

Rounding out the finish Friday behind Shedaresthedevil, runner-up Swiss Skydiver and third-place Gamine were, in order, Speech, Tempers Rising, Hopeful Growth, Bayerness, Donna Veloce and Dream Marie.

Flurry Racing Stables, Qatar Racing Limited and Big Aut Farms all campaign the Kentucky-bred Shedaresthedevil. Flurry Racing Stables purchased her as a 2-year-old for $280,000 last November at Keeneland.

For her 10-race career, Shedaresthedevil now shows a 5-2-2 record with more than $1.2 million earned.