The Daredevils return in full form

The Daredevils return

It isn’t often that the two best horses in a racing division were sired by the same stallion. It’s even less common when the stallion is from a noncommercial bloodline – that is, does not descend tailmale from Mr. Prospector, Storm Cat or A.P. Indy – who stood for a mere $7,500 before being sold to the Turkish Jockey Club in 2019.

The stallion in question is Daredevil, and last year his daughters Swiss Skydiver and Shedaresthedevil were the most accomplished 3-year-old fillies around two turns in the country. Swiss Skydiver’s five graded wins included the Preakness and Alabama, and she was an

easy winner of the Eclipse Award. Shedaresthedevil’s three graded victories included the Kentucky Oaks.

Daredevil is back in the U.S. now, standing for $25,000 at Lane’s End Farm. Last Saturday, Swiss Skydiver and Shedaresthedevil kicked off their 2021 campaigns with impressive wins, respectively, in the Beholder Mile and Azeri Stakes, signaling their readiness to again compete for divisional honors.

Unfortunately for them, they’ve got a Hall of Famebound mare standing in their way: Monomoy Girl, who toyed with an overmatched field three weeks ago while winning the Bayakoa Stakes. The twotime champion, now six, has won 14 of 16 lifetime starts and shows no sign of slowing down.

The presence of these three standouts makes for a compelling older-female division that also includes Valience and Dunbar Road, the two-three finishers in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, who have yet to race in 2021. In a surprising bit of good news, Monomoy Girl and Swiss Skydiver appear headed for an early-season showdown April 17 in the Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park. Shedaresthedevil will reportedly race next in the La Troienne Stakes at Churchill on Apr. 30, where her opponents will likely include Dunbar Road.

Dude and Kona among HOF nominees

This year’s nominees to the Racing Hall of Fame again include Game On Dude and Kona Gold. Game On Dude was nominated in his first year of eligibility in 2020, but fell short of the 50 percent of votes needed for induction. Kona Gold has been nominated multiple times since becoming eligible in 2009.

Both geldings are amply qualified. Game On Dude won 14 graded stakes, including eight G1s, and earned nearly $6.5 million. In 2013, he became only the second horse to win the Santa Anita Handicap, Hollywood Gold Cup and Pacific Classic in the same year.

Kona Gold won 10 graded races and is known, famously, for having competed in five consecutive runnings of the BC Sprint. He set a Churchill Downs track record in winning the 2000 Sprint after placing in both the 1998 and 1999 editions. Despite not winning as often as he had as a younger horse, Kona Gold won graded stakes at seven, eight and nine.

Geldings are at something of a disadvantage when being considered for the Hall of Fame because, as non-breeding stock, they often are kept racing past their prime. Game On Dude lost six of his last seven starts, while Kona Gold lost eight of his last ten, thus diluting their overall win percentage.

First-time nominees American Pharoah and trainer Todd Pletcher are locks to be inducted into the Hall this year. Other nominees are also deserving of the honor. They include, for this voter, Game On Dude and Kona Gold.