By Christina Bossinakis
Etobicoke, Ontario–Crossing the border into the Great White North boasting a resume laced with a trio of Grade I victories, She Feels Pretty (Karakontie {Jpn}) annexed her fourth at the highest level when winning taking a nail-biting renewal of the GI E.P. Taylor Stakes at Woodbine, a 'Win and You're In' for the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf in November.
Heavily fancied by the crowd at 2-5 come post time, the chestnut broke evenly under John Velazquez to place herself in a forward position as Godolphin representative, Diamond Rain (GB) (Shamardal), blew the start and instantly found herself at the back.
Stalking in third as Hurricane Claire (Silent Name {Jpn}) and last year's King's Plate winner Caitlinhergrtness (Omaha Beach) led the way through modest opening splits of :25.08 and :49.56, the Cherie DeVaux-trained filly started to show her impatience down the backside, swishing her tail as if in protest.
According to Velazquez, She Feels Pretty was actually hit from behind.
“[She] got really anxious…you can see she got cut through the bandages. She got hit pretty good, but then she got pretty keen. So now, I have her covered up, and I've got to get in the clear a little bit. From then on it was a wrestling match with her.”
Given some relief by Velazquez approaching the quarter pole, the 4-year-old rolled to the fore with relative ease while three-wide turning for home, spurted clear in early stretch and was in an all-out drive as the slow-starting Diamond Rain mounted a gallant challenge in the stretch, but ultimately ran out of real-estate and had to play the bridesmaid as the U.S. invader held on to win by a head. GSW Ready for Shirl (More Than Ready) rounded out the trifecta.
“I didn't want to move too soon [because] the horse from Europe [Diamond Rain] was really close and really good,” Velazquez added. “I wrestled with [She Feels Pretty] past the 5/16ths pole and then finally put my hands down to let her do her thing. The last 16th of a mile, I don't know what she saw, but she got lost. I thought, 'Come on, don't do this to me now. We're almost there,' but she got it done.”
Victorious at this venue in the GI Natalma in 2023, She Feels Pretty rounded out that season with a close-up third in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. At three, the filly won a trio of stakes, highlighted by the GI QEII Cup over nine furlongs at Keeneland and the 10-furlong GI American Oaks at Santa Anita last December.
Kicking off 2025 the same way she concluded the previous season, she took the GIII Modesty Stakes at Churchill Downs May 2 and made it four straight with a narrow victory in the 1 3/16-mile GI New York Stakes over a yielding Saratoga turf course June 6. Heavily favored for her return to the Spa for the GI Diana Stakes July 12, the Kentucky-bred was caught late and had to settle for second behind Excellent Truth (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}) in the nine-furlong test.
DeVaux indicated She Feels Pretty will “most definitely” accept the ticket into the Breeders' Cup at Del Mar.
SHE FEELS PRETTY ($2.90) held off a huge run from Diamond Rain (GB) in the @BreedersCup Filly & Mare Turf #WAYI $750,000 E. P. Taylor Stakes (G1) at @WoodbineTB. The Karakontie (@Gainesway) filly is trained by @reredevaux. @ljlmvel had the ride. pic.twitter.com/3a8aBbWpJK
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) August 16, 2025
Pedigree Notes:
She Feels Pretty is out of a winning mare in Summer
Sweet, $550,000 juvenile purchase by Payson Stud at the Keeneland January Sale in 2016. The mare is a half to several successful runners including SW Summer Breezing (Langfuhr), SW/GSP Adirondack Summer (Thunder Gulch) and GISP Summer Solo (Arch), the dam of MGSW Solo Album (Curlin) and SW/GSP
Maedean (Tapit). This represents the family of French MG1SW Act One (GB) (In the Wings {GB}), G1SP Gharir (Ire) (Machiavellian) and G1SP Summer Symphony (Ire) (Caerleon). She Feels Pretty has a 2-year-old half-sister named She Feels Stunning (American Pharoah), also trained by DeVaux, in addition to a yearling half-sister by Olympiad half-sister and a filly foal by Justify.
Saturday, Woodbine
P. TAYLOR S.-GI, C$754,500, Woodbine, 8-16, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 1/4mT, 2:00.80, fm.
1–SHE FEELS PRETTY, 125, f, 4, by Karakontie (Jpn)
1st Dam: Summer Sweet, by More Than Ready
2nd Dam: Summer Solstice (Ire), by Caerleon
3rd Dam: Summer Sonnet (GB), by Baillamont
($240,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Lael Stables; B-Payson Stud Inc (KY); T-Cherie DeVaux; J-John R. Velazquez. C$450,000. Lifetime Record: 12-8-2-2, $2,210,592. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Diamond Rain (GB), 125, f, 4, by Shamardal
1st Dam: Dancing Rain (Ire) (Hwt. Filly-Eng- at 9 1/2 –11 f., Hwt. Filly-Eng- at 11 – 14 f., G1SW-Ger, G1SW-Eng, $932,081), by Danehill Dancer (Ire)
2nd Dam: Rain Flower (Ire), by Indian Ridge (Ire)
3rd Dam: Rose of Jericho, by Alleged
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O/B-Godolphin, LLC (GB); T-Charles Appleby. C$150,000.
3–Ready for Shirl, 125, f, 4, by More Than Ready
1st Dam: Perfect Shirl (GISW-USA, GSP-Can, $1,390,729), by Perfect Soul (Ire)
2nd Dam: Lady Shirl, by That's a Nice
3rd Dam: Canonization, by Native Heritage
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O/-Charles E. Fipke (KY); T-Roger L. Attfield. C$82,500. 'TDN Rising Star'
Margins: HD, 10HF, 3/4. Odds: 0.45, 2.40, 15.55.
Also Ran: Venencia (Fr), Caitlinhergrtness, Literate, Hurricane Clair.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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