She Feels Pretty, a three-time grade 1 victress, makes her 2025 and Churchill Downs debut May 2 in the $400,000 Modesty Stakes (G3T).
She was last seen posting back-to-back triumphs in the American Oaks (G1T) at Santa Anita Park and the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes (G1T) at Keeneland, the latter of which was her only experience running the Modesty's 1 1/8-mile distance. Not that the lack of opportunity should be a cause for concern. The Queen Elizabeth stands as She Feels Pretty's most dominant win.
She stalked the leaders into the stretch before shifting outside, taking the lead at the three-sixteenths pole and pulled away for a six-length conquest. She posted a career-best Equibase Speed Figure of 113.
Bred by Payson Stud, owned by Lael Stables, and trained by Cherie DeVaux, She Feels Pretty is 5-1-2 from eight starts with $1,128,317 in the bank. She will break from the gate a heavy 6-5 favorite under jockey John Velazquez.
Most likely her biggest challenger comes from the stable of Chad Brown. Saffron Moon, daughter of Malibu Moon, is also coming into the race having won two in a row.
While her two wins were not grade 1s like that of She Feels Pretty, her pair of victories were graded—the Hillsborough Stakes (G2T) and the Endeavour Stakes (G3T) at Tampa Bay Downs—and they were run this year, giving the CHP Racing-owned mare more recent race action.
Three-quarters of a length back in the Hillsborough was Gimme a Nother. The Graham Motion trainee will be making just her second start in North America. She came to the United States from South Africa, where she was a perfect 7-for-7.
Completing the field of fillies and mares 4 and up are Birdie Rose, Pin Up Betty, Takemetothebeach, Segesta, and Waves of Mischief.
Churchill Downs, Friday, May 2, 2025, Race 8Entries: Modesty S. presented by Veritas Prime (G3T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Waves of Mischief (KY) Ben Curtis 120 Brendan P. Walsh 20/1 2 2Gimme a Nother (SAF) Jose L. Ortiz 118 H. Graham Motion 7/2 3 3Segesta (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 118 Chad C. Brown 9/2 4 4Pin Up Betty (KY) Juan J. Hernandez 118 Michael J. Maker 12/1 5 5Takemetothebeach (KY) Luan Machado 118 William D. Cowans 30/1 6 6Birdie Rose (FL) Martin Garcia 118 Marcelino Salas 30/1 7 7She Feels Pretty (KY) John R. Velazquez 123 Cherie DeVaux 6/5 8 8Saffron Moon (KY) Flavien Prat 120 Chad C. Brown 3/1
Queen Maxima Looks to Keep Rolling
Dutch Girl Holdings and Irving Ventures' talented sprinter Queen Maxima tries for five wins in a row in the 5 1/2-furlong, $400,000 Unbridled Sydney Stakes (G3T) at Churchill Downs.
The Florida-bred daughter of Bucchero will venture outside of California for the first time. It would be wise for all in the field to be wary of her. She is a nose shy of gunning for a sixth straight win and only failed to finish in the top two once, her second career start, which was her lone attempt at a distance greater than 6 1/2 furlongs.
What should scare the competition is that the Jeff Mullins trainee is getting better. Not only have her workouts over the last two months been littered with bullet efforts, but victories are coming with growing margins and higher Equibase Speed Figures.
Trying to keep Queen Maxima from the throne will be Ag Bullet, Asternia, Awesome Treat, Bling, Cloudwalker, Crown Imperial, Epona's Hope, and Gavea.
Churchill Downs, Friday, May 2, 2025, Race 10Entries: Unbridled Sidney S. presented by Cygames (G3T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Cloudwalker (KY) Gerardo Corrales 121 Brendan P. Walsh 20/1 2 2Awesome Treat (KY) Luan Machado 121 Justin Wojczynski 15/1 3 3Gavea (GER) Flavien Prat 123 Albert M. Stall, Jr. 15/1 4 4Ag Bullet (KY) Umberto Rispoli 121 Richard Baltas 8/5 5 5Epona's Hope (FL) Joel Rosario 123 J. Tyler Servis 6/1 6 6Bling (KY) Junior Alvarado 121 Victoria H. Oliver 8/1 7 7Crown Imperial (KY) Luis Saez 123 John Alexander Ortiz 12/1 8 8Asternia (KY) Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. 121 Randy L. Morse 20/1 9 9Queen Maxima (FL) Juan J. Hernandez 123 Jeff Mullins 2/1
