A victory in the GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup can lead even the most disciplined connections to call an audible, deviating from a more conservative approach in favor of a start in a race as alluring as the GI Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf just weeks later.

But trainer Cherie DeVaux and the Lael Stables of Roy and Gretchen stuck to their guns and sent the enormously talented She Feels Pretty (Karakontie {Jpn}) to California for the American Oaks, another chance at age-restricted Grade I glory while putting loftier objectives on the back-burner, until this time next year, for example. The $240,000 Keeneland September yearling ensured that the team would be sufficiently pleased with the course they elected to chart, as she stormed down the Santa Anita stretch to stamp her authority on the race while touting herself as one to tab closely in the distaff turf division in 2025.

Off as the 3-5 jolly, the $240,000 Keeneland September yearling broke cleanly, but she clearly attempted to hurdle the lip of the dirt crossing and tugged fiercely against John Velazquez from an early midfield berth to be fourth in the slipstream of 58-1 Valence (Violence) as they reached the first turn. Velazquez edged out one path to his right and raced three deep and punching the breeze with fully six furlongs to travel, and the rider had two fists full of rein as he did his level best to get the strapping filly to settle down the back.

Left in a bit of a tricky spot when Frankie Dettori went for an early move astride Kathynmarissa (American Pharoah) with less than a half-mile to race, She Feels Pretty was deftly steered off that one’s heels and four wide into the clear midway on the second bend. When Velazquez finally acquiesced and finally allowed She Feels Pretty to have her head nearing the quarter pole, the response was both immediate and devastating, as she sprinted her final two furlongs in a very slick :22.63 to win by a comfortable margin. Medoro (Honor Code) finished a distant third to round out a trifecta that returned less than 13-1.

“She got a little keen, broke a little slow and then when she passed the dirt she took like a weird step and then she got up and started running up,” Velazquez said. “I wanted to keep her covered up, she is much better covered up, but today she was really keen. I put her right behind the horse in front of me and I held her the best I could.”

The result was considerably more satisfying for team She Feels Pretty than her last trip to the Great Race Place, when the GI Natalma Stakes heroine just failed to overcome a horror draw when third, beaten a half-length, in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf nearly 14 months ago.

Highly impressive in annexing the May 17 Hilltop Stakes on seasonal return, she was narrowly defeated by the classy Cinderella’s Dream (GB) (Shamardal) in the July 6 GI Belmont Oaks–a race that now roughly occupies the spot on the racing calendar once held by the original iteration of the American Oaks–and was beaten a frustrating neck in the GII Lake Placid Stakes at Saratoga Aug. 17. Whatever lingering disappointment there may have been was well and truly washed away when She Feels Pretty bolted up by a half-dozen lengths in Lexington 75 days ago and from here, the sky appears to be the limit.

Pedigree Notes:

Along with 2022 Del Mar Oaks victress Spendarella, She Feels Pretty is one of two elite-level scorers for her sire, who caused a 30-1 upset as a 3-year-old in the 2014 GI Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita.

The winner’s dam, a $550,000 purchase by Payson Stud as an early 2-year-old at Keeneland January in 2016, is a daughter of French listed winner Summer Solstice, the dam of SW Summer Breezing (Langfuhr), SW & GSP Adirondack Summer (Thunder Gulch) and Belmont Oaks third Summer Solo (Arch), herself responsible for GSW Solo Album (Curlin) and SW & GSP Maedean (Tapit).

Summer Sweet is also the dam of the 2-year-old colt Summer Vibes (Good Magic), who fetched $600,000 from Boardshorts Stables at the 2023 KEESEP sale two days before She Feels Pretty took the Natalma and is currently in training at Palm Meadows. The current yearling out of Summer Sweet, a filly named She Feels Stunning (American Pharoah), was hammered down to Lael for $650,000 at Keeneland this past September, and She Feels Pretty’s year-older half-sister Lakeside Music (Super Saver) was acquired by Whisper Hill Farm for $400,000 in foal to Munnings at KEENOV last month. Summer Sweet claims a weanling filly by Olympiad and was most recently covered by Justify.

“SHE FEELS PRETTY is absolutely gorgeous!” – @FrankMirahmadi@reredevaux trains the filly by Karakontie (JPN) (@Gainesway) who took the $300,000 American Oaks (G1) at @SantaAnitaPark. @ljlmvel was on board. pic.twitter.com/3rYoIA2qlC

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) December 27, 2024