How to bet the 2022 Fleur de Lis Stakes

A compact field of five will go postward in the $350,000 Fleur de Lis S. (G2) at Churchill Downs on Saturday. The small group doesn’t lack for quality, however, as two of the entrants have secured prior success at the Grade 1 level. I will side with the accomplished duo in my ‘chalky’ wagers.

I didn’t love the effort from #5 Shedaresthedevil (9-5) last time out when the 2020 Kentucky Oaks (G1) heroine gave up a lead late when runner-up in the La Troienne S. (G1) on the surface, but I expect a huge showing from her on Saturday. Trained by Brad Cox, the classy daughter of Daredevil dons a superb 6-5-1-0 mark beneath the Twin Spires in her career and seems poised for a peak performance in her third start since being purchased for a cool $5 million in November.

Shedaresthedevil is often on the front end early on but I actually think that she performs better with a target, and she will have at least one on Saturday. With a pair of speedsters to her inside, the five-year-old can force the action while in the clear before asserting her considerable class in the stretch. She comes in with a handful of well-spaced morning drills and will have regular pilot Florent Geroux in the silks. Shedaresthedevil will be a single on all of my tickets.

Steve Asmussen’s #4 Pauline’s Pearl (5-2), winner of the La Troienne S. (G1) two back, is the logical choice to complete the exacta. I have underestimated the daughter of Tapit on multiple occasions in the past but have learned to appreciate her talents recently. The gray four-year-old has finished in front of my top selections on two occasions in 2022, and she rarely runs a bad race.

The four-year-old was a subpar fourth in the Shawnee S. on the oval in her latest endeavor, but she had won or placed in seven straight prior to that and I expect a big move forward in this spot. The well-related Stonestreet color bearer has tactical speed and figures to benefit from having a trio of speed horses entered in the field, as well. Pauline’s Pearl gets reunited with Joel Rosario.

Fleur de Lis Wagers

• $30 win: #5 Shedaresthedevil ($30)
• $20 exacta: 5 with 4 ($20)