Pauline's Pearl Betters Shedaresthedevil in La Troienne

A year ago Pauline's Pearl made a lone start in grade 1 company and finished off the board in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1). Back at Churchill Downs May 6 before a Kentucky Oaks Day crowd, Stonestreet Stables' homebred Tapit filly made the second top-level try of her career and in the stretch edged past 2020 Kentucky Oaks winner and last year's La Troienne Stakes Presented by TwinSpires.com (G1) winner, Shedaresthedevil, to take this year's edition of the $750,000 La Troienne Stakes Presented by Signify Health for fillies and mares 4 years old and up. The two had squared off against one another in the March 12 Azeri Stakes (G2) at Oaklawn Park, with the improving Pauline's Pearl falling three-quarters of a length short of catching champion Ce Ce at the wire. Shedaresthedevil was another length back in third after showing the way early in her first start since owner Staton Flurry joined forces with Whisper Hill Farm and Qatar Racing to acquire the daughter of Daredevil for a lofty $5,000,000 at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November Sale. When the gates opened, it became clear that the La Troienne was not the homecoming the connections of Shedaresthedevil had hoped for. The defending race champ, bet down as the 4-5 favorite, lost her footing at the break and stumbled under jockey Florent Geroux. Recovering quickly, Shedaresthedevil sprinted to take command, holding a length lead over the tightly bunched group of Ava's Grace, Jilted Bride, and Pauline's Pearl through an opening quarter in :24.02 and a half-mile in :47.80. Trainer Brad Cox didn’t believe the poor start compromised Shedaresthedevil's performance. "I thought she had a good trip, a comfortable trip. I don't think there was much of an excuse, really. I mean we were a length behind that filly in the last race and a half-length behind her today. It was good effort today, just not a winning effort." Maintaining her advantage past the six-furlong marker in 1:11.78, Geroux pushed the ignition on Shedaresthedevil with a quarter-mile left to run as Pauline's Pearl, who had rated kindly for Joel Rosario down the backstretch, loomed menacingly turning for home. "I wasn’t even nervous this time," said Stonestreet owner Barbara Banke. "I knew (she would get there)." Just like in the Azeri, Pauline's Pearl wore down a stubborn Shedaresthedevil, pushing past her rival in the final strides in a time of 1:42.46 for the 1 1/16 miles on a track not yet dampened by the oncoming storms. She was sent off as he 9-5 second choice and returned $5.80 on a $2 win ticket. Ava's Grace completed the trifecta at 12-1 while New York-shipper Battle Bling finished another length behind in fourth. "(Trainer) Steve (Asmussen) told me to watch her at the gate, that she could break slow," said Rosario. "But she came out fine, and I got a good position. I got pushed out a bit on the turn (for home), but once we straightened out, she leveled off. She ran well through the stretch." The La Troienne was a breakthrough victory for the ever-improving Pauline’s Pearl, who has played second fiddle to fellow Stonestreet-owned stablemate Clairiere for the majority of her career. While Clairiere shined precociously as a sophomore, having claimed the 2021 Cotillion Stakes (G1) and placing in two other grade 1 events, Asmussen felt Pauline's Pearl needed the last year in order to develop herself both mentally and physically. "She has settled down so much with maturity," said Asmussen. "She was not bad before, but she was always on her toes a touch anxious, and she has just been so confident on the track all this year. We were confident in her training coming into this race, but I was very concerned with the way the race set up in this quality field. But she got there in time. She got her chance (in another grade 1) and proved narrowly the best." With Shedaresthedevil and Pauline's Pearl shipping out of town, Clairiere was left to tackle the mighty Letruska in the April 23 Apple Blossom Handicap (G1), turning in a valiant runner-up performance to the champion at Oaklawn. "We have the beautiful luxury of keeping her and Clairiere separate," said Asmussen. "To have two older grade 1 mares like that to pick and choose how beautiful is that. It's as good as it gets." The La Troienne win pushed Pauline's Pearl's earnings over the $1 million mark. She boasts a record of 5-4-2 from 13 career starts with a bankroll of $1,494,200. "She keeps improving. She's a very gutsy, gritty filly," added Banke. "We’ll see how she comes out of it and plan backward from the Breeders' Cup." The blue-blooded Pauline's Pearl is a daughter of Banke's grade 1-winning Dixie Union mare Hot Dixie Chick. Running for the silks of Banke's Grace Stables, Hot Dixie Chick was a sharp sprinter that garnered back-to-back stakes wins in the Schuylerville Stakes (G3) and the Spinaway Stakes (G1) as a juvenile at Saratoga Race Course. The 15-year-old mare, a half sister to Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) hero Always Dreaming and grade 2 winner Positive Spirit, has produced four winners from five progeny to run. In addition to Pauline's Pearl, she foaled the graded stakes-placed, multiple stakes winner Union Jackson, whom Asmussen also trained. Hot Dixie Chick's recent offspring include the 3-year-old Curlin colt Marsalis, a debut scorer at second asking for Banke and Asmussen March 26 in a six-furlong maiden special weight at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. She also has a yearling colt by Constitution.