Del Mar

BRAD Cox also picked up a Grade 1 on the west coast when short-priced favourite Shedaresthedevil, had little trouble in winning the Grade 1 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes. The 2020 Longines Kentucky Oaks heroine was gaining experience over the Del Mar track where this year’s Breeders’ Cup will be held.

Three-time graded winner Venetian Harbor led when the gates opened with second-choice As Time Goes By on the rail.

Under Florent Geroux, Shedaresthedevil broke well from the outside post in the five-horse field and took a good position in third, outside of Venetian Harbor.

As Venetian Harbor made the half-mile in 47.21secs. Shedaresthedevil made her move and ranged up to head Venetian Harbor just before the quarter pole.

Venetian Harbor succeeded in staying with Shedaresthedevil for several strides into the stretch, but Shedaresthedevil easily pulled away to win by three and a quarter lengths, completing the mile and half a furlong on the fast track in 1m45.38, to win from Venetian Harbor.

“The idea was to get her to break alertly, then get a good spot,” Geroux said. “That’s exactly what happened. She ran her race today, and she’s very good when she does.”

Eric Gary, an assistant to trainer Brad Cox, said: “We sat right off the lead, nice, calm, and relaxed, and when it was time to go, she showed up like she was supposed to. Being around her this morning, I had a really good feeling that she was going to run big today.”

It was a third Grade 1 for the four-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Daredevil.

On the Saturday, Dr. Schivel, a three-year-old taking on older rivals, made the lead in midstretch, then hung extra tough late to capture the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes by a neck.

Dr. Schivel, who was making only the sixth start of his career, had won last year’s Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity for former trainer Luis Mendez, before coming back to win an allowance race at Santa Anita in June for Mark Glatt.