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She Feels Pretty much the best in the QEII Challenge Cup (Courtney Snow/Past The Wire)
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Keeneland Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky.— Lael Stables’ She Feels Pretty rocketed past Caitlinhergrtness at the three-sixteenths pole and drew off to a record-breaking 6-length victory 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.
Quotes from the $750,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) Presented by Dixiana
John Velaquez (winning rider of favorite She Feels Pretty)
“First of all, (trainer) Cherie (DeVaux) has done a great job with her, coming back with her race after race. She’s running great races. The blinkers helped her today as well, and the cover up works with her. When she’s covered up and you pull her out, she passes horses. When she’s hanging on the outside of horses she thinks she’s breezing, and then she kind of stays with the horses and never passes. Today she was covered up, and when I pulled her out she was ready to go, and I made sure I kept her decent down the lane, just in case one of the European horses was coming running. So I wanted to keep her running. What a feeling when you pull her out and she gives you that quick spurt out of there. I was pretty happy with the way she did it, yeah.”
Cherie DeVaux (winning trainer)
“It’s extremely (gratifying) when you have a filly at this level. She puts it out there every time. She’s been unlucky; in her last two (races) she finished second (in the Lake Placid Stakes-G2 Aug. 17) and third (in the Belmont Oaks Invitational-G1 July 6). So we’ve been working with her with the blinkers, trying to get her to stick to her own task. I think (jockey) Johnny (Velazquez) hit it on the head with she needs cover and she just needs to come out and make that run.”
On how it feels to win a Grade 1 race at Keeneland
“Really good. I had a nightmare trip back from Newmarket (England). I got in at about 12:30 (p.m.) today, so this was well worth the sleeplessness, and who cares about the makeup I’m not wearing, because I’m all excited and bright red.”
Billy Loughnane (rider of runner-up Soprano-IRE)
“Nice run. She was a fraction slowly into stride and ended up in a nice position. She finished off good, she’s going to learn a lot from the race. Slightly unbalanced around the home turn, but she hit top gear towards the line.
“This is my first ride in the States. I was out in Palm Meadows (Training Center in Florida) for a few months a couple of years ago, but this is my first ride over here.
“I walked the course before the race. It’s a lovely course. It’s great to see so many people here as well. It’s a lovely track.”
Frankie Dettori (rider of third-place finisher Caitlinhergrtness)
“She’s won the King’s Plate in Canada, one of the biggest races. I had a good trip. John (Velazquez) was much too good, and I was beaten second on the line. It was a great effort. I was trying to go as slow as I could (as the pacesetter).”
