She Feels Pretty Holds Off Diamond Rain In E.P. Taylor initially appeared on Paulick Report.
She Feels Pretty held off the late cost of Diamond Rain (GB) to win the $750,000 E.P. Taylor (G1) on Saturday at Woodbine, incomes her ticket to the Maker’s Mark Breeder’s Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1).
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Breaking from publish 4, She Feels Pretty was swishing her tail round down the backstretch after being hit by one other horse, however discovered a cushty spot monitoring off the leaders in third. Pacesetter, and 52-1 longshot, Hurricane Clair set fractions of :25:08, :49.56, and 1:14.11 for the primary six furlongs. Last 12 months’s King’s Plate winner Caitlinhergrtness sat in second. The trio of Diamond Rain, Venencia, and Literate lined fourth by way of sixth, with Ready For Shirl in behind in seventh.
As the sphere changed into the stretch, She Feels Pretty began to cross Caitlinhergrtness and Hurricane Clair on their exterior. Diamond Rain began to come back along with her run in behind She Feels Pretty, and the pair kicked properly away from the sphere. In the ultimate furlong, She Feels Pretty began to float out, however finally held on by a head over Diamond Rain. Well again, Ready For Shirl completed third, with Venencia edging out Caitlinhergrtness for fourth. Literate completed sixth, and pacesetter Hurricane Clair seventh.
Trained by Cherie DeVaux and ridden by John Velazquez, She Feels Pretty accomplished the 1 1/14 miles on the E.P. Taylor turf course in 2:00.80. She Feels paid $2.90 for the win because the heavy 1-2 favourite. She got here in off a runner-up end within the Dunkin Diana (G1) July 12 at Saratoga however rebounded with aplomb Saturday.
“It’s a pure development, the Diana, and this was on our calendar,” DeVaux told Woodbine’s Jeff Bratt after the race. “She had been training so well, so it just made sense to come here now, and run her here instead of waiting a couple more weeks for the Flower Bowl.”
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During the post-race interview, Velazquez mentioned that She Feels Pretty was hit hard from behind, which caused her tail to start swish while she traveled down the backstretch.
“Well, I just wanted to make sure she was OK,” DeVaux mentioned. “When you start to see horse do something like that, you kind of worry what is bothering them, because she’s a pretty straightforward filly that’s never done that before. She did come back again and her bandage is cut—there’s nothing we can see, but somebody really must of ran up on her from behind.”
When asked if the Breeders Cup is on the calendar this year, DeVaux responded, “Yes, most definitely.”
The E.P. Taylor is a part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge ‘Win and You’re In’ sequence and supplies an computerized beginning place into $2-million Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf this fall at Del Mar
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She Feels Pretty was bred in Kentucky by Payson Stud and is a daughter of Karakontie (JPN) out of the More Than Ready mare Summer Sweet. Owned by Lael Stables, she has a file of eight wins, two seconds, and two thirds from 12 profession begins and earnings of $2,210,592. The E.P. Taylor was She Feels Pretty’s second win at Woodbine. She gained the Natalma (G1) throughout her 2-year-old season earlier than a third-place end within the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1).
This story was initially reported by Paulick Report on Aug 16, 2025, the place it first appeared.