She Feels Pretty, who took last year's GI Natalma S. at Woodbine before finishing third beaten just a half-length by Hard to Justify (Justify) as the favorite in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, returned to the races Friday with authority in the Hilltop S. at Pimlico. Bet down to 3-5 even off the layoff, the Lael Stables-owned filly–contesting her third straight one-mile race under John Velazquez–broke towards the outside and was happy to sit back off the early pace, letting Roanan Goddess (Leofric) handle the tempo from the rail. Sitting a wide trip down the backstretch, she had plenty of momentum while just two-wide off the turn, took over from late leader Just Better past the quarter pole and was on cruise control late to secure the win.
“She had been training well and you hope they can come out fresh from [age] 2 to 3,” said winning trainer Cherie DeVaux. “There are a lot of unknowns coming out here [off layoff since Breeders' Cup Juvenile Filly Turf]. I was really impressed with her. It was obviously an easier race than the Breeders' Cup. You hope they come forward and now hope for an exciting year ahead. This race fit the calendar for her.”
One of 14 stakes winners for Karakontie (Jpn), She Feels Pretty hammered to Lael Stable for $240,000 as a yearling at Keeneland and is out of a half to SW Summer Breezing (Langfuhr), Sw/GSP Adirondack Summer (Thunder Gulch), and GISP Summer Solo (Arch), herself the dam of both GSP Maedean (Tapit) and GSW Solo Album (Curlin). Summer Sweet saw her 2-year-old Good Magic filly bring $600,000 from Boardshorts Stables as a yearling at Keeneland last September. She reported an American Pharoah filly last year and foaled a filly by Olympiad this spring. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
Back to back 🏆 stakes wins for @cdevauxracing as #6 SHE FEELS PRETTY ($3.20) kicks away with John Velazquez up to win the Hilltop Stakes at @PimlicoRC for Lael Stables. Another winner by Karakontie who stands at @Gainesway.
The $150,000 Miss Preakness Stakes (G3) is next! pic.twitter.com/3vbxcKvrQ9
— FanDuel Racing (Formerly TVG) (@FanDuel_Racing) May 17, 2024
HILLTOP S., $100,000, Pimlico, 5-17, 3yo, f, 1mT, 1:38.59, gd.
1–SHE FEELS PRETTY, 124, f, 3, 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. $60,000. Lifetime
Record: GISW, 4-3-0-1, $412,379.
2–Just Better, 122, f, 3, Justify–Betterbetterbetter (Ire),
by Galileo (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O/B-Whisper Hill Farm, LLC
(KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen. $20,000.
3–Waves of Mischief, 118, f, 3, Into Mischief–Pearl River,
by Quality Road. ($575,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR). 1ST BLACK TYPE.
O-Qatar Racing LLC; B-Pam & Martin Wygod (KY); T-Brendan P.
Walsh. $10,000.
Margins: 5 3/4, 3HF, 6HF. Odds: 0.60, 9.80, 5.50.
Also Ran: Royal Wintour, Turf Rocket, Roanan Goddess, Expatriate. Scratched: Brown Suga Babe, Modern Sound, Society Ball.
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