HOT SPRINGS -- An opening appeared late, and Shedaresthedevil, under rider Joe Talamo, sprinted through to win the Grade III $300,000 Honeybee Stakes for 3-year-old fillies before an estimated crowd of 22,000 at Oaklawn on Saturday.
Talamo said he was full of confidence when a slight gap appeared in the 1 1/16 mile race with 150 yards left between Motu and Ring Leader. Shedaresthedevil, the 5-2 second choice, charged through, caught and passed Alta's Award 50 yards from the wire to win by 3/4 lengths in 1:44.38.
Alta's Award, the 2-1 favorite, finished second, 3 lengths in front of third-place Motu. Queen Bridgett was fourth at 68-1, 4 1/2 lengths behind the winner.
"I was absolutely loaded the whole way around there," Talamo said. "It was just a matter of trying to pick a seam that last part. When it opened up, she absolutely exploded through there, and I was very impressed with her gallop out more than anything. With added distance, I think she's going to want every bit of a mile and an eighth, or even more. I don't think she's peaked yet. I think she's just going to keep getting better and better, and they've set her up for that."
The Honeybee Stakes is Oaklawn's second of three races to offer qualifying points for the Grade I $1,250,000 1 1/8-mile Kentucky Oaks, scheduled for May 1 at Churchill Downs. With her win, Shedaresthedevil earned 50 Oaks points. Alta's Award earned 20, Motu 10, and Queen Bridgett 5.
"We obviously ran a horse that was eligible for a win in a Grade III," Shedaresthedevil's trainer Brad Cox said. "We had a lot of confidence in her. She's a nice filly. She puts a lot into her training in the morning. She gives you the confidence. She rewarded the ownership today, us and the whole group. It was a great race."
Cox said Shedaresthedevil's next start will likely come in Oaklawn's Grade III $600,000 1 1/16-mile Fantasy Stakes on April 10, a race that offers a total of 170 Oaks qualifying points.
Ring Leader, trained by Mac Robertson and ridden by David Cohen, was the only previous stakes winner in the field with her first-place finish in Oaklawn's $125,000 6-furlong Dixie Belle Stakes on Feb. 15 but was also the only in the field of eight who had not raced further than 6 furlongs.
Ring Leader led early, though Cohen struggled for control through the first quarter-mile in 23.73, with Motu, ridden by Brian Hernandez, Jr., two lengths back in second. Alta's Award, trained by Steve Asmussen, was in third, 2 lengths off the lead and a length ahead of Shedaresthedevil.
"We had a really good trip," Hernandez, Jr. said. "When we turned for home, I thought we had enough horse to go on, but she just kind of emptied out for a bit."
Motu, Turtle Trax and Shedaresthedevil were the three Honeybee entrants with graded-stakes experience.
Turtle Trax never contended and finished last, 7 3/4 lengths behind the winner.
Alta's Award, ridden by Ricardo Santana, Jr., was one of six in the field with no previous experience at Oaklawn Racing, Casino, Resort but began her career with a 2-1-0 record at Fair Grounds in New Orleans. Her two wins were at 1 1/16 miles, the first on Jan. 17 and the second on Feb. 14.
Ring Leader led through the half-mile in 47.89 and three-quarters in 1:12.83. She was still near the leaders with 110 yards to go but faded to fifth.
"We did our best to kind of settle," Cohen said. "I was pretty happy once we got to the backside. She relaxed real well, but early on, obviously she just didn't overcome that. Whether she wants to go two turns or not, I'll leave that up to the trainer, but I was pretty happy with her."
Shedaresthedevil earned Flurry Racing Stable's Staton Flurry his first Oaklawn win this season and his first win in a graded stakes race.
"The way she's been working in the morning, and I've been out here for every work, she's phenomenal, phenomenal," Flurry said. "All class. I was worried when we were boxed in there, but Joe found a hole and she went through it."
Sports on 03/08/2020