Lael Stables' She Feels Pretty, closing down the middle of the track under rider John Velazquez, proved best by 4¼ lengths in Saturday's Johnnie Walker Natalma Stakes (G1) for 2-year-old fillies.
The Natalma, a $500,000 turf race contested over one mile of grass, is part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series and gives the winner a fees-paid berth in the $1-million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1), a one-mile event to be run Nov. 3 at Santa Anita.
“I was very confident, I got to say she was feeling very confident,” said Velazquez. “I made sure I put her in a good position behind Dylan Davis (rider of Ozara), a horse that could take me a little way down. When we turned for home, I moved her to the clear and her ears went up and I said, 'Wow, look at this.' I went after her and she instantly responded. The way she did it was very impressive.”
Simply in Front, the only nonwinner in the 13-filly field, was well-placed throughout and ended a solid second at odds of just under 30-1.
English invader Dazzling Star, the 7-5 favorite to give trainer Charlie Appleby an eighth straight Grade 1 success at Woodbine and a third win in the Natalma, broke slowly and while she made up ground was never able to enter serious contention. The Godolphin homebred finished 2½ lengths behind the runner-up.
Ozara, looking to give the Christophe Clement barn a sweep of the day's Grade 1 features for 2-year-olds, raced prominently and appeared to be in with a big chance turning for home only to flatten out slightly and finish fourth.
Golden Canary ended fifth after setting fractions of :22.86, :47.01, and 1:11.81 before weakening.
Ready to Jam, Rhapsody, Bolt Enoree, Dea Matrona (FR), She's Fire, Ms. Tart and Brocknardini rounded out the official order of finish.
Dancing Duchess had crossed the finish line in sixth place but was disqualified and placed 13th after the stewards found her guilty of causing interference to several rivals via a chain reaction at the eighth pole.
Go With Gusto and Airosa had been cross-entered in the Summer Stakes and opted to face males there.
She Feels Pretty paid $18 as the third choice after completing the mile in 1:35.34.
The Natalma was the first career Grade 1 win for trainer Cheri DeVaux and her first triumph at Woodbine in just two tries.
“I have been very confident with her, especially with her training at Saratoga,” said DeVaux. “Every single day that she has trained she physically matured, she mentally matured. She goes out there and you can't tell that she is a 2-year-old filly. She looks like she is one of the older fillies and more impressively just how she trains every single day she is happy to do it, it gave me the confidence going into this, especially taking this big step.”
She Feels Pretty, a daughter of Karakontie who was knocked down $240,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where she was offered by Stone Farm, was starting for just the second time after scoring by a neck in a 5½-furlong turf race at Ellis Park on July 16.
Bred in Kentucky by Payson Stud, She Feels Pretty is out of the More Than Ready mare Summer Sweet.
The post She Feels Pretty Takes ‘Win & You’re In’ Natalma By Comfortable Margin appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
V V's Dream sat just off pacesetters Hot Beach and Youalmosthadme in the early stages of the race before easily running past those foes down the stretch to win Saturday's 55th running of the $300,000 Pocahonatas (G3) for 2-year-old fillies by a widening 8¾ lengths over Youalmosthadme at Churchill Downs.
Owned by Michael J. Mackin's MJM Racing, V V's Dream ran one mile in 1:36.45 for jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. and trainer Kenny McPeek. This marked the second straight year that McPeek trained a Mackin-owned runner to win the Pocahontas after doing it in 2022 with Fun and Feisty.
Kentucky-bred V V's Dream is from the first crop of 2019 champion male sprinter Mitole, who stands at Spendthrift Farm in Lexington, and is her sire's first stakes winner. She is out of the Tapit mare Quay and banked $183,105 for the win.
V V's Dream is the early points-leader on the “Road to the Kentucky Oaks” after collecting 10 points. The Pocahontas is the first of 32 qualifying races to the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) to be run next May, and points were awarded to the top five finishers on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale.
“She's still young but has shown a lot of talent already,” said Greg Geier, McPeek's assistant trainer. “She spent the summer in New York training for this race. It's been the plan to run here in the Pocahontas and then to the Breeders' Cup. I don't see why she wouldn't improve stretching out in distance after this.”
Breaking from post three in the field of six 2-year-old fillies, V V's Dream tugged her way into third after leaving the chute as Hot Beach and a tracking Youalmosthadme dictated the pace through fractions of :22.83, :45.55, and 1:10.24. At the top of the stretch, V V's Dream was full of run and cut loose with a powerful three-wide move to demolish her rivals.
“She sat in a perfect spot just behind the two pacesetters,” Hernandez said. “She got a little bit of a breather around the turn and really went by them own her own. She's won impressively in two starts here. I think stretching out around two turns shouldn't be a problem in the future.”
V V's Dream (3-2-1-0—$297,605) paid $4.40 tp win as the 6-5 betting choice.
Hot Beach finished three-quarters of a length back in third.
Courbe, Riperton and Regal Rumor completed the order of finish. Empire Island, Peignoir and Raining Sugar were scratched.
The winner was bred by Mark Stansell.
The post ‘She’s Won Impressively’: V V’s Dream Romps Clear For Pocahontas Win appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Grade I winners and 'TDN Rising Stars' Taiba (Gun Runner) and Arabian Lion (Justify) will join Zandon (Upstart) and stand at Spendthrift Farm for the 2024 breeding season. Spendthrift announced the news Saturday.
“We are really excited to be bringing in three new stallion prospects of the caliber of Taiba, Arabian Lion and Zandon for the 2024 breeding season,” said Spendthrift general manager Ned Toffey. “All three are superior physicals, and all three displayed immense talent in winning some of America's biggest 3-year-old races on dirt. Obviously, the Breeders' Cup is ahead and some of them will be looking to finish strong. These are the kind of stallion prospects we have looked to bring in and will continue to try to bring in at Spendthrift.”
Stud fees for all three horses will be announced at the end of their respective racing careers.
The post Taiba, Zandon And Arabian Lion To Stand At Spendthrift In 2024 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
