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Pick Pony | Oct. 13, 2024, 9:20 p.m.
Lael Stables’ She Feels Pretty surged past Caitlinhergrtness at the three-sixteenths pole and went on to win by a record-breaking 6 lengths in the 41st running of the $750,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) Presented by Dixiana for 3-year-old fillies.
Trained by Cherie DeVaux, who notched her first Keeneland Grade 1 victory, and ridden by John Velazquez, She Feels Pretty completed the 1⅛ miles on a firm turf course in 1:46.50. The margin of victory eclipsed the 5-length winning margin by Shantisara (IRE) in 2021 and Graceful Darby in 1987.
For Velazquez, it is his sixth victory in the race. His first came in 1995 on Perfect Arc, and he followed with Alwajeeha (2008), Crown Queen (2014), Time and Motion (2016) and Cambier Parc (2019).
Caitlinhergrtness set an uncontested pace through fractions of :23.45, :47.79 and 1:11.94 as Oversubscribed (GB) tracked in second with She Feels Pretty third. Caitlinhergrtness led the field into the stretch only to be immediately confronted by She Feels Pretty, who blew past and widened her advantage to the wire.
Soprano (IRE), who had been racing in midpack, got up to finish second in a three-way photo.
A Keeneland sales graduate, She Feels Pretty is a Kentucky-bred daughter of Karakontie (JPN) out of the More Than Ready mare Summer Sweet.
Now a two-time Grade 1 winner, She Feels Pretty improved her record to 7-4-1-2 and increased her earnings to $948,317 with Saturday’s $435,938 check.
Favored in the field of 10, She Feels Pretty returned $5.08, $3.10 and $2.58. Soprano, ridden by Billy Loughnane, returned $3.66 and $3.14 and finished a neck in front of Caitlinhergrtness, who paid $6.48 to show under Frankie Dettori.
It was another head back to Pin Up Betty with Grayosh, Oversubscribed, Buchu, Candala (FR), Pounce and Waves of Mischief following in order.
She Feels Pretty notes
The morning after winning her first Grade 1 race at Keeneland, trainer Cherie DeVaux used two words to describe Lael Stables' She Feels Pretty's 6-length victory in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) Presented by Dixiana:
“Awesome … amazing.”
The addition of blinkers for She Feels Pretty upped the hope of her connections for the 1⅛-mile race.
“We expected her to run a good race,” DeVaux said. “She was training well … she always trains well. She has a couple quirks, but adding the blinkers and (jockey) Johnny V (Velazquez) keeping her covered up made the difference.”
DeVaux ruled out a possible Breeders’ Cup run in three weeks but indicated that She Feels Pretty might not be done with the 2024 campaign.
“This (the QE II) was the goal for the year, even at the start of the year,” DeVaux said. “The Breeders’ Cup would be too close, but maybe a race like the ($300,000) American Oaks (G1).”
The American Oaks, a race covering a distance of a mile and a quarter, is set to take place on December 26th at Santa Anita. Soprano (IRE), owned by Highclere Thoroughbred Racing, is scheduled to return to England on Tuesday. This information comes from Charles Eddery, who has been supervising the filly's training at Keeneland for trainer George Boughey.
“She just bumped into a good one yesterday,” Eddery said of the runner-up. “George was able to watch the race and was delighted with the way she ran for her first time in North America.”
Soprano might return to the U.S. for the Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1) at Del Mar on Nov. 2.
“There will be a discussion later today with George and Harry (Herbert of Highclere), and it might be on the card to go (to the Breeders’ Cup),” Eddery said. “She normally runs every three weeks and takes to racing well.”
Plans are undetermined for third-place finisher Caitlinhergrtness.
“We were very proud of her effort,” trainer Kevin Attard said of the filly, who is owned by Siena Farm and WinStar Farm. “I’m going to have a discussion with Elliott (Walden of WinStar) and decide on that.”