She Feels Pretty Does It Again, Eyes Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf
- Turf Diario
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
The Karakontie filly held off the British import Diamond Rain to capture the E.P. Taylor Stakes (G1) at Woodbine, securing her ticket to Del Mar
TORONTO, Canadá (Special for Turf Diario).- The story of She Feels Pretty keeps reaching new heights. The Karakontie filly cemented her status as a leading turf mare in the Northern Hemisphere with a victory in the E.P. Taylor Stakes (G1, 1 1/4 miles, turf, US$750,000) at Woodbine, simultaneously securing her spot in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) set for Nov. 1 at Del Mar.
Racing for Lael Stables and under the guidance of John Velázquez, who had to call on all his experience to manage the spirited Cherie DeVaux trainee, She Feels Pretty lived up to her 2-5 favoritism, earning her fourth Grade 1 victory and surpassing the US$2 million mark in career earnings.
The race unfolded as thrilling as it was eventful. The heavy favorite faced a test: “She got bumped from behind on the backstretch and got very anxious. She even cut herself on the bandages, got hit hard, and became quite fiery,” Velázquez recounted after the win. He added, “I had to steady her a bit, just move her slightly to get her out of there. From that point, it was a real tug-of-war, because I didn’t want to push too early knowing the European horse, Diamond Rain, was close and very talented. Around the final 600 meters, I finally let her run and do her thing.”
The Puerto Rican rider didn’t hide that there was a moment when victory seemed in jeopardy: “In the last 200 meters, I’m not sure what she saw, but she got distracted. I thought, ‘Come on, don’t do this now, we’re almost there,’ but she got it done in the end.”
At the wire, She Feels Pretty held just a half-length over Diamond Rain (Shamardal), the Godolphin filly trained by Charlie Appleby, who, after a poor start, unleashed a furious rally under William Buick. The rest of the seven-horse field was far back, making clear this was a head-to-head clash between two international-class performers.
The final time was 2:25.80 over Woodbine’s renewed turf course, which will undergo renovations at the end of the season—hence the E.P. Taylor was run on the King’s Plate card.
DeVaux, emerging among the top names in U.S. training, explained the choice of this race as a prep: “She’s been training so well that it made sense to run here now rather than wait a few more weeks for the Flower Bowl at Saratoga.” On what’s next, she was unequivocal: “We will definitely accept the invitation to the Breeders’ Cup.”
With this triumph, She Feels Pretty, bred in Kentucky by Payson Stud, improved her record to 5 wins in 10 starts, with 2 seconds and 1 third, and earnings of US$2,334,957, more than US$1.2 million of which came this season alone. It’s worth noting that Lael Stables purchased her for US$240,000 at Keeneland September 2022, an investment that now looks modest compared to her returns on the track.
Saturday at Woodbine also marked a triumphant return: She Feels Pretty last raced there in September 2023, winning the Natalma Stakes (G1), a victory that launched her stellar path. Two years later, she returned to capture the E.P. Taylor and set her sights on an even greater challenge: Del Mar and the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf, where the global racing world awaits her with open arms.
