For the third straight year, KARAKONTIE’s daughter She Feels Pretty visited the Grade 1 winner’s circle with a win in the New York S. (G1) at Saratoga.
Breaking from the widest gate in the 1 3/16-mile race on yielding turf, She Feels Pretty was keen early when racing just off the leader five paths wide into the first turn. Jockey John Velazquez kept her well-restrained down the backstretch, not letting her show anything until they went into the far turn.
Once she was urged, She Feels Pretty confronted the leaders and was on a mission. Beach Bomb wasn’t going to let her get the lead early with the pair dueling until the final furlong. At that point, the KARAKONTIE daughter started to pull away – winning by half a length in the end.
SHE FEELS PRETTY powers home for her 4th straight graded stakes win in the G1 New York Stakes for trainer @reredevaux! 💪
Hall of Fame rider @ljlmvel is on fire at Saratoga – 4 wins on the day, including 3 graded stakes victories! 🔥🏇 pic.twitter.com/w95T71ogve
— Equibase (@Equibase) June 6, 2025
This is the seventh win in 10 starts for the Lael Stables runner, who has been trained to six stakes victories by Cherie DeVaux with four Grade 1 wins leading the way. She has never finished worse than third with two of her three placings also coming in Grade 1 races.
Bred by Payson Stud, the $240,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase is one of two winners from three to race out of three-time winner Summer Sweet.
That daughter of stakes winner Summer Solstice is also the dam of stakes winners Summer Breezing and Adirondack Summer and the Grade 1-placed dam of multiple Grade 3 winner Solo Album and TAPIT’s stakes winner and Grade 2 placed Maedean.
The family also includes dual Group 1 winner Act One.
Summer Sweet has a yearling from OLYMPIAD’s first crop to come as well.
This was the second Grade 1 placing of the day for a Gainesway stallion with MCKINZIE’s Scottish Lassie also finishing in third just a neck behind second in the Acorn S. (G1).