1 of 2 | She Feels Pretty wins Saturday’s Grade I Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland. Photo courtesy of Keeneland
Oct. 14 (UPI) — She Feels Pretty dominated the weekend’s biggest race, the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland, as the sport started gearing up in earnest for the Breeders’ Cup Nov. 1-2 at Del Mar.
On the international front, Japan’s 3-year-old fillies were sorting themselves out, and English and Irish 2-year-olds were bidding for attention ahead of the 2025 Classics. Australia’s spring festivities featured upsets and could Hong Kong have found a successor to the retired Golden Sixty?
All that and more …
Filly & Mare Turf
She Feels Pretty looked the part in Saturday’s $750,000 Grade I Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup for 3-year-old fillies at Keeneland, kicking free from the field early in the stretch run and getting away to win by 6 lengths.
Soprano was next best in a talented field, followed by Caitlinhergrtness.
She Feels Pretty, with John Velazquez up for trainer Cherie DeVaux, ran 1 1/8 miles on firm going in 1:46.50.
Winning trainer Cherie DeVaux said the Breeders’ Cup is too close to consider, but the Grade I American Oaks on Boxing Day at Santa Anita might be a possibility. Soprano’s connections said they might consider bringing her back from England for the Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.
On Saturday at Aqueduct, Spaliday rallied from last of seven to win the $200,000 Grade II Sands Point Stakes for 3-year-old fillies by a neck over breakaway early leader Macanda. The favorite, Style Points, was another 2 lengths back in third.
Turf
Highway Robber won a head-bob finish by a nose over Bold Act at the end of Friday’s $300,000 Grade III Sycamore Stakes at Keeneland. Both came from well back in the field.
Highway Robber, a 4-year-old Hard Spun gelding, finished the 1 1/2 miles on firm turf in course-record time of 2:26.08 with Tyler Gaffalione up for trainer Brian Lynch.
Andthewinneris outfinished stablemate Redistricting by a neck in Sunday’s $175,000 Grade III Knickerbocker Stakes at Aqueduct.
A 4-year-old Oscar Performance gelding, Andthewinneris came from last of five and benefited from traffic issues that hampered Redistricting. He finished the 1 1/8 miles on the firm outer turf in 1:46.15 with Dylan Davis up, snagging his first win since the Bob Bork Texas Turf Mile in January 2023.
Turf Sprint
Future Is Now took the lead in the stretch run of Sunday’s $350,000 Grade II Franklin Stakes for fillies and mares at Keeneland and managed to hang on despite a furious late charge by the favorite, Star of Mystery, who finished second, 3/4 length back. Future Is Now, a 4-year-old Great Notion filly, got the 5 1/2 furlongs on firm turf in 1:01.47 with Paco Lopez up for trainer Michael Trombetta.
Also: Secret Money won Saturday’s $135,000 Floral Park Stakes at Aqueduct, On the Whim took Sunday’s $100,000 California Flag Handicap for state-breds and Santa Anita and Grand Slam Smile landed the filly-mare equivalent California Distaff on Saturday.
Filly & Mare Sprint
A Game waited behind rivals into the turn in Saturday’s $135,000 (Canadian) Ontario Fashion Stakes, got a clear run entering the final furlong and got through to win by a head at odds of 48-1.
Distaff
Ecstasy got first run to the lead in Saturday’s $125,000 (Canadian) Ontario Damsel Stakes for 3-year-old fillies and held off the favorite, Witwatersrand, by 1 3/4 lengths. The Paynter filly ran 1 1/16 miles on the all-weather track in 1:43.37.
Around the world, around the clock
England
Shadow of Light held sway through the final strides of Saturday’s Group 1 Darley Dewhurst Stakes for 2-year-olds at Newmarket, edging Expanded by 1/2 length and Ancient Truth by the same margin again.
None of the top three was disgraced in the 7-furlongs test over soft going ,but Shadow of Light was particularly spotlighted after winning the Group 1 Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes last month at 6 furlongs.
Desert Flower ran her record to 4-for-4 with a commanding win in Friday’s Group 1 bet365 Fillies Mile for 2-year-old fillies at Newmarket.
The Night of Thunder miss, a Godolphin homebred, emerged from the pack approaching the furlong grounds with Coolmore’s January in close pursuit. Desert Flower quickly saw off that challenge, winning by 5 1/2 lengths, and trainer Charlie Appleby said that’s it for the filly this season.
Ireland
Coolmore announced Saturday that the Nov. 2 Breeders’ Cup Classic will be the final race for Derby winner City of Troy. The Justify colt then will stand at Coolmore Ireland — a blow to the organization’s American branch, which had lobbied for him.
Japan
Sunday’s Group 1 Shuka Sho at Kyoto Racecourse was the rubber match in Japan’s filly Triple Crown series, pitting Cervinia, the winner of the Yushun Himba or Japanese Oaks, against Stellenbosch, the winner of the Oka Sho or Japanese 1,000 Guineas.
Cervinia, a Harbinger filly, hit the afterburners in the stretch run to separate herself from the field and won by 1 3/4 lengths, taking the lead of Japan’s 3-year-old filly division. Bond Girl, who missed the first two legs of the series, was up late to edge Stellenbosch for second in the Oka Sho.
France
Sky Majesty remained undefeated after three starts with a 1 1/4-length score over Daylight in Saturday’s Group 2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte for 2-year-olds at Chantilly. The Blue Point filly is trained by William Haggas.
Australia
It was not a good weekend for the favorites Down Under.
Private Life, a 12-1 shot trained by Chris Waller for the Irish Coolmore partners, won the Group 1 Sportsbet Caulfield Guineas, relegating Godolphin’s favorite, Broadsiding, into a closing fourth. Private Life, an Australian-bred by Written Tycoon, had been fourth in the Guineas Prelude in his last.
In the Group 1 Sportsbet Might and Power, Deny Knowledge denied the favorite, Mr Brightside, by 3/4 length after 1 1/4 miles.
Deny Knowledge exited a fifth-place finish in the Group 1 Underwood in his spring debut, while Mr Brightside had defeated newly crowned Horse of the Year Pride of Jenni two starts back, then finished second to that one in their last meeting.
Antino ran off with the Group 1 Hyland Race Colours Toorak Handicap, winning by 6 1/2 lengths as the favorite, Another Wil, reported seventh, beaten 10 lengths.
Hong Kong
Vincent Ho, after piloting Golden Sixty to 26 wins including 10 Group 1’s, should know an outstanding horse when he rides one and he thinks he’s riding another one right now.
“He has got great talent and he will be the next future star, I would say,” Ho said after riding Galaxy Patch to an easy victory Sunday in the Group 2 Sha Tin Trophy.
Galaxy Patch, a 5-year-old, Australian-bred gelding, is being prepped by trainer Pierre Eng for December’s Longines Hong Kong Mile, a race Golden Sixty won three times, with an intermediate stop in the G2 Jockey Club Mile on Nov. 17.
The winner of seven of 13 starts in the jurisdiction, Galaxy Patch has a long way to go even to approach Golden Sixty’s record, but Ng said he is still developing and can be expected to assert with experience.
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