It was another Grade 1 win for KARAKONTIE’s exceptional She Feels Pretty on Saturday when she dug in to win the E.P. Taylor S. (G1) at Woodbine.
To the surprise of no one, the Cherie DeVaux trainee went off as the favorite in the 1 ¼ mile race and with Johnny Velazquez aboard showed why by the time they hit the line. She had the early lead before easily giving it up when two others went ahead of her as she raced in third under a tight hold.
She Feels Pretty had a few moments of keenness down the backstretch, but listened to her regular rider and settled close to the front. Velazquez turned her loose in mid-turn and She Feels Pretty coasted clear of the field with her jockey not asking for much early in the stretch. A check behind his arm showed Diamond Rain was coming late and Velazquez started riding his mount in the final furlong. She Feels Pretty responded well to win by a head for an eighth career victory.
Racing for Lael Stable, She Feels Pretty’s resume includes five Grade 1 wins with a second in the Diana S. (G1) and third in the Belmont Oaks (G1) to round out her resume. Racing exclusively in stakes company since breaking her maiden on debut in 2023, she has never finished worse than third in her career.
The Payson Stud-bred She Feels Pretty is out of Summer Sweet, who won three races herself. Summer Sweet is a daughter of Summer Solstice, who also produced stakes winners Summer Breezing and Adirondack Summer. She is also the dam of the Grade 1-placed dam of multiple Grade 3 winner Solo Album and TAPIT’s stakes winner and Grade 2 placed Maedean.
Summer Sweet’s yearling filly is by OLYMPIAD, who is offered as Hip 156 with Gainesway at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
KARAKONTIE is the sire of four stakes winners and nine stakes performers overall in 2025.