She Feels Pretty Scores Explosive Victory in QEII Cup

Outfitted with blinkers for the first time, She Feels Pretty responded to the equipment change with a dominant victory in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes (G1T) at Keeneland. A grade 1 winner of the 2023 Natalma Stakes (G1T) and a gallant third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1T) as a 2-year-old, the daughter of Karakontie (JPN) struggled to piece together her best form during her sophomore campaign. There was an emphatic score in Pimlico Race Course's Hilltop Stakes against overmatched rivals to begin her season, but from there She Feels Pretty suffered two straight losses when jumping back into graded competition. Leading up to the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup, trainer Cherie DeVaux noted She Feels Pretty was hanging in the stretch in both of her prior outings, waiting on her competition rather than passing them, which ultimately led to the decision to run the filly in blinkers. With a strong pair of European runners partaking in this year's event, She Feels Pretty would need to give forth her best effort to take the crown for Keeneland-based DeVaux. She gave the performance of her career, and then some. At the start, Canadian invader Caitlinhergrtness, conqueror of males in Woodbine's King's Plate Stakes, prompted an early pace of in :23.45 and :47.79. Tucked into third position for most of the 1 1/8-mile journey, She Feels Pretty raced comfortably and patiently for regular pilot John Velazquez. While Caitlinhergrtness called on the reserves past six furlongs in 1:11.94, she was no match for She Feels Pretty, who when angled into the clear, exploded with aplomb down the lane. "The blinkers worked really well with her today," said Velazquez. "The cover-up works with her too. When she's covered up and you angle her out she passes horses. "Today she was covered up and when I pulled her out she was ready to go. I made sure I kept her decent down the lane just in case one of those European horses came running." The Europeans never came close, with second choice Soprano (IRE) getting up for second, six lengths behind the victorious She Feels Pretty. Caitlinhergrtness was a neck back in third, another head in front of 27-1 shot Pin Up Betty. Sizzling through a final eighth in :11.63, She Feels Pretty established a new record margin of victory in her tour de force. Bet down as the 3-2 post-time favorite ($5.08), the Lael Stables' runner clocked the distance in 1:46.50 over a firm turf course. She Feels Pretty, who gave DeVaux the first grade 1 win of her training career last year in the Natalma, improved her earnings to $948,317 with her second top-level score. "When you have a filly of this level she puts it out there every time," DeVaux said. "We've been working her (in the mornings) with the blinkers to keep her focused on her own task. And I think Johnny hit it on the head that she needs cover, needs to come out and make that run." Bred in Kentucky by Payson Stud, She Feels Pretty was acquired by Lael Stables for $240,000 at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale from the Stone Farm consignment. She is the second winner and sole stakes winner produced from the More Than Ready mare Summer Sweet. Bred to Justify this past breeding term, Summer Sweet has an unraced 2-year-old colt by Good Magic named Summer Vibes and a yearling filly by American Pharoah who commanded $600,000 and $650,000 price tags at their respective Keeneland September sales. The mare's weanling Olympiad filly has not gone through the ring. She Feels Pretty became the second-leading earner for her sire, the Gainesway stallion Karakontie, with her Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup tally. The son of Bernstein, hero of the 2014 Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) is also the sire of this year's Louisville Stakes (G3T) victor Sugoi. DeVaux's plane arrived in Lexington at 12:30 a.m. last night after attending the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale for the last week at Newmarket in England. "I'm extremely grateful," DeVaux said. "Today was well worth the sleeplessness."