Lael Stables' She Feels Pretty, undefeated in three starts since equipped with blinkers, aims for her fourth consecutive graded stakes victory when rematched against Gimme a Nother in the $750,000 New York Stakes (G1T) June 6.
Friday marks her return to Saratoga Race Course, where she was last beaten when second in the Lake Placid Stakes (G2T) in August. Wide and in contention throughout the stretch, she failed to produce the necessary finish and fell a neck short of victory.
But blinkers and an emphasis by Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez to get her early "cover"—meaning drafting behind horses—quickly got her back into a winning groove. She romped by six lengths in the Oct. 12 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes (G1T) at Keeneland, added the Dec. 26 American Oaks (G1T) at Santa Anita Park, and then returned from a winter break to win the May 2 Modesty Stakes (G3T) at Churchill Downs over Gimme a Nother. The three victories came by a combined margin of 10 3/4 lengths—dominance that will result in her prohibitive favoritism in the New York Stakes. She is 3-5 on the morning line.
Reflecting of the addition of blinkers after some losses last year, including in the Lake Placid, trainer Cherie DeVaux said, "We just felt like there was more in there to give, so we tried blinkers and that seems to have been the key. She really responded well."
She set a course record with 1 1/8 miles in 1:45.51 over Churchill Downs' turf, which has been producing exceptionally fast times this spring.
"It was very workmanlike. She set a track record which was amazing since we were just getting a race into her," DeVaux said.
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Gimme a Nother, who carried 7 pounds less She Feels Pretty in the Modesty, now has to upset her at equal weights under the New York Stakes conditions. They tote co-high weight of 124 pounds, as does Beach Bomb, a dual stakes winner at Gulfstream Park in March.
She Feels Pretty, a chestnut daughter of Karatonkie, is the leading money earner in the field of eighth female turf horses with earnings of more than $1.3 million, accomplished with a record of 6-1-2 in nine starts.
Graham Motion trains both Newstead Stables' Gimme a Nother and Cayton Park Stud's Beach Bomb, both of whom were group 1 winners in their native South Africa earlier in their careers. Gimme a Nother went unbeaten in seven starts there and has since run second twice in a pair of United States stakes races—with her initial runner-up finish coming in the Hillsborough Stakes (G2T) in March at Tampa Bay Downs.
Beach Bomb has more U.S. experience, having made six starts in this country. Her only domestic victories have come with Luis Saez in the saddle. He is back aboard after missing a ride on her when she was a last-out second in the Sheepshead Bay Stakes (G2T) at Aqueduct.
Speaking of Gimme a Nother, Motion said, "I kind of hate to run against her (She Feels Pretty) again, but I think off the last race, she deserves a chance in here."
Jose Ortiz returns aboard the late-running Gimme a Nother.
Motion, who won back-to-back runnings of the New York stakes in 2020-21 with Mean Mary, has more of a front-runner in Beach Bomb, though her speed has been on display in longer, slower-paced races.
"She's a galloper and likes to run a little more like that (on the front) and doesn't have a huge turn-of-foot," Motion said. "From her runs in Florida, you can assume she loves the firm ground."
There is a threat of light rain Friday.
Other contenders include Dixiana Farms' nine-length Bewitch Stakes (G3T) winner Forever After All, trained by Brendan Walsh, and Bellezza, who won the Sheepshead Bay for late trainer Christophe Clement. Clement's son, Miguel, now trains Bellezza after his father's death May 25.
Forever After All is a daughter of Connect out of the graded stakes-placed Giant's Causeway mare Julia Tuttle. This makes her a half sister to multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire and current WinStar Farm stallion Tom's d'Etat .
Bellezza, a Siyouni filly who raced in Ireland prior to the Sheepshead Bay, is out of the listed stakes-placed Galileo mare Terrific, a full sister to the Aidan O'Brien-trained grade 1 winner Together.
Post time for the New York Stakes, race 12 on a 14-race card Friday, is 6:25 p.m. ET. America's Day at the Races will present television coverage on FS1.
Saratoga Race Course, Friday, June 6, 2025, Race 12Entries: New York S. Presented by Rivers Casino (G1T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Forever After All (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 120 Brendan P. Walsh 10/1 2 2Immensitude (FR) Junior Alvarado 118 William I. Mott 20/1 3 3Gimme a Nother (SAF) Jose L. Ortiz 124 H. Graham Motion 7/2 4 4Miwa (GB) Dylan Davis 118 Todd A. Pletcher 30/1 5 5Edict (ARG) Manuel Franco 118 David G. Donk 15/1 6 6Bellezza (IRE) Flavien Prat 120 Miguel Clement 8/1 7 7Beach Bomb (SAF) Luis Saez 124 H. Graham Motion 10/1 8 8She Feels Pretty (KY) John R. Velazquez 124 Cherie DeVaux 3/5
