DAREDEVIL SOLD AS STALLION PROSPECT

Let’s Go Stables’ brilliant two-year-old Daredevil has retired from racing, and will begin the next phase of his career standing at WinStar Farm, Versailles, Kentucky. There he will take his place alongside his sire, More Than Ready, as well as such as Pioneerof the Nile – the sire of American Pharoah – Leading Sire Distorted Humor, Tiznow, Super Saver and Speightstown.

A $260,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase Daredevil made an explosive racecourse debut, leading throughout to take a Belmont Park maiden special weight by 6¼ lengths, while running six furlongs in 1:09.87. Those behind him included Leave the Light On, who a few weeks later was to defeat Frosted and Keen Ice for the Remsen Stakes (gr. II).

Daredevil’s second start came in the Champagne Stakes (gr. I), and resulted in a sensational performance. Without ever being asked a serious question Daredevil cruised home 2 ½ lengths clear of millionaire Upstart, who placed third in the Breeder’s Cup Juvenile on his next outing, with those left trailing also including three-time graded stakes winner El Kabeir, and graded stakes winners Holy Boss and I Spent It.

Daredevil’s Champagne Stakes Beyer Speedfigure of 107 was the highest achieved by a two-year-old in 2014, and was the fastest by a juvenile since 2010, when both Uncle Mo and The Factor equaled that number. The number was also the fastest achieved by a two-year-old at a mile for more than 20 years.

The Champagne Stakes has a near 150 year history as one of North America’s most import juvenile tests, and its winners include numerous horses that went on to important careers as stallions. Among these are Menow, Count Fleet, Buckpasser, and more recently Seattle Slew, Alydar, Forty Niner, Maria’s Mon, Scat Daddy, and this year’s Leading Freshman Sire, Uncle Mo. Daredevil’s own background indicates that he too has an excellent chance of making an impact at stud. He is the most brilliant North American juvenile to represent his sire, More Than Ready. Himself a spectacular two-year-old, and a grade one winning sprinter at three, More Than Ready has been a three-time Champion Sire of Two-Year-Olds in the U.S. and Australia, and his son, Sebring, is currently Australia’s most exciting young sire, with 2015 Horse of the Year Dissident among his first crop. Daredevil is half-brother to Albertus Maximus, winner of the Donn Handicap (gr. I) and Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. Daredevil’s dam, Chasethewildwind, is by Champion Two-Year-Old Forty Niner, out of grade one winner Race The Wild Wind, and is half-sister to King Charlemagne, a grade one winning sprint champion in Europe, to graded stakes winning two-year-old Meshaheer, and to the dam of Forego Stakes (gr. I) winner, Here Comes Ben.