She Feels Pretty, Kathynmarissa 1-2 in G1 American Oaks
| Santa Anita stakes recap (Benoit Photo of Kentucky-based trainer Cherie DeVaux hugging John Velazquez after She Feels Pretty’s 2 1/2-length score over Kathynmarissa) Another Grade 1 winner for Ellis Park’s 2-year-old program, and a G1-placing for Kentucky Downs’ Dueling Grounds Oaks ARCADIA, CA (Dec. 26, 2024)—Eastern invader She Feels Pretty made it back-to-back Grade I wins Thursday with another dominant victory in the Grade I, $300,000 American Oaks on opening day of the Santa Anita Classic Meet Thursday. She Feels Pretty won her debut as a 2-year-old at Ellis Park. She Feels Pretty, who won the GI Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Keeneland by six lengths in October, this time rolled to a comprehensive 2 ½-length victory over Kentucky Downs’ Dueling Grounds Oaks winner Kathynmarissa in the 1 ¼-mile turf stakes. Hall of Famer John Velazquez was aboard for both victories. “She is such a special filly,” said winning trainer Cherie DeVaux, whose prime base much of the year is Kentucky and who lives in Lexington. “Johnny has done a great job helping us get her to where she is. It has been a team effort for everybody to get her here.” Sent off as the 3-5 favorite, She Feels Pretty was forwardly placed throughout while racing under a tight hold. On the final turn, She Feels Pretty went wide and unleashed a scintillating turn of foot to blow by the field and win easily by 2 ½ lengths. “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 winning time on firm turf was 1:58.69 following fractions of 23.20, 46.25, 1:11.51 and 1:36.06. Kathynmarissa (4-1), ridden by Frankie Dettori for trainer Richard Dutrow Jr., finished second. She was followed by Medoro (6-1) in third with Rashmi (25-1) rounding out the superfecta. She Feels Pretty, a $240,000 auction buy as a yearling, improved to 8: 5-1-2 with $1,128,317 in earnings for owner Lael Stables. As a 2-year-old, the daughter of Karakontie won her first two starts including the GI Natalma at Woodbine before finishing third by a half length as the favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita. This year, she won the Hilltop Stakes at Pimlico in May and was beaten by less than a length in both the GI Belmont Oaks Invitational and GII Lake Placid before taking Queen Elizabeth II. “It’s really special,” DeVaux said. “She is a filly that as an early 2-year-old she was kind of like an ugly duckling. She just needed to grow into herself. Still, she won her first time out going five and a half furlongs and now she is up to a mile and a quarter so it has been quite rewarding to watch the process.” She Feels Pretty paid $3.20, $2.20 and $2.10. Kathynmarissa returned $3.80 and $2.80. Medoro, ridden by Antonio Fresu for trainer Peter Eurton, paid $2.80. |
| GRADE I, $300,000 AMERICAN OAKS STAKES QUOTES JOCKEY QUOTES JOHN VELAZQUEZ, SHE FEELS PRETTY, WINNER: “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. 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. All of a sudden Frankie made a big move in the backstretch and he put the brakes down in front of me so I said, ‘No, I’m not going to play this game, I’ve got a mile, so let’s go.’ And obviously I had a good horse. Whatever Cherie has done with her, it has been a great job. I really have to thank her for giving me the opportunity to ride her.” LANFRANCO “FRANKIE” DETTORI, KATHYNMARISSA, SECOND: “I was out in back. They were going, so I made a good move around the back. I’m very happy. One minute, I was joined on my inside, I blinked, and it was two legs in front of me on the outside. I mean, (She Feels Pretty) passed me like a rocket but my filly, she was a good second.”TRAINER QUOTES CHERIE DEVAUX, SHE FEELS PRETTY, WINNER: “It’s very special. She is such a special filly. Johnny has done a great job helping us get her to where she is. It has been a team effort for everybody to get her here. It’s really special. She is a filly that as an early two year old she was kind of like an ugly duckling, she just needed to grow into herself, still she won her first time out going five and a half furlongs and now she is up to a mile and a quarter so it has been quite rewarding to watch the process.” |
