She Feels Pretty leaves them all behind in Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup
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The trainer Cherie DeVaux, with feedback from jockey John Velazquez, believed the 3-year-old filly She Feels Pretty had idled late in her last two races, running with the competition instead of past it, which is why She Feels Pretty made her first start in blinkers Saturday at Keeneland. And this time, She Feels Pretty decided to lead the herd rather than run with it.
Making the most of a perfect pocket trip under Velazquez, She Feels Pretty stormed past pacesetting Caitlinhergrtness in upper stretch and ran off to a six-length victory in the Grade 1, $750,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup.
Winner of the Grade 1 Natalma at age 2, She Feels Pretty scored her first important win at age 3 while looking like the best middle-distance filly of her generation. Her winning margin was the largest ever in the QE II, a race inaugurated in 1984.
“We’ve been working with her in the blinkers trying to stick to her own task,” said DeVaux, who trains She Feels Pretty for Roy and Gretchen Jackson’s Lael Stable.
England shipper Soprano made a modest late bid to nip Caitlinhergrtness for second, with longshot Pin Up Betty fourth. Then came the Chad Brown-trained pair of Grayosh and Oversubscribed, followed by Buchu, France shipper Candala, Pounced, and a headstrong Waves of Mischief. Off splits of 23.47, 47.75, and 1:11.94, a moderate tempo considering how fast the Keeneland grass course has been playing, She Feels Pretty ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:46.50, easily a stakes record. Bet late to favoritism, she paid $5.08.
She Feels Pretty broke running before Velazquez eased her behind Frankie Dettori and Caitlinhergrtness, Oversubscribed coming up to track the leader outside She Feels Pretty. Velazquez merely held his position until the quarter pole, where, with Oversubscribed flagging, he came off the fence and went after the leader. Catching her took less than a half-furlong, and this race was over a long way from the finish.
“Getting covered up works for her,” Velazquez said. “I made sure she kept running down the lane.”
She Feels Pretty might have waited for horses, too, in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf last fall. A daughter of Karakontie and Southern Sweet, by More Than Ready, and bred in Kentucky by Payson Stud, She Feels Pretty now has four wins from just seven starts. The equipment change brought forth a powerful blast of natural ability. She Feels Pretty feels like she’ll be hard to beat wherever she goes next.
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