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Pegasus World Cup Eclipse Award Winners 2025 Year in Review Santa Anita Opening Day Hong Kong Cup Results |
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 Jockey John Velazquez aboard She Feels Pretty after winning the E.P. Taylor Stakes
King's Plate |
The $750,000 E.P. Taylor Stakes (G1) for older fillies and mares going 1 1/4 miles on the turf and new for 2025, is a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series race in the Filly and Mare Turf division. Conditions were typical for late August in Southern Ontario, with partly cloudy skies and a race time temperature of 29.6 C (85.3 F), with the turf rated firm (GoingStick reading of 11.2). A field of 7 made final entry with She Feels Pretty sent off as the 2-5 favorite off a close second place finish in the Diana (G1) at Saratoga after winning the Modesty (G3) at Churchill Downs and the New York Stakes (G1) at Saratoga. In to challenge her included 5-2 second choice Diamond Rain, making her first start in North America after winning the Hedge of Oak Stakes at Haydock Park and the Hoppings Stakes (G3) at Newcastle, and 12-1 third choice Caitlinhergrtness, last year's King's Plate winner off a close second in the Trillium (G3).
 She Feels Pretty leads on the rail down the stretch |
Jockey Pietro Moran sent 52-1 Hurricane Clair to the lead out of the dogleg and down the backstretch through easy fractions of 25.08, 49.56, and 1:14.11 while pressed by Caitlinhergrtness and stalked by She Feels Pretty. Turning for home, jockey John Velazquez sent She Feels Pretty out 5 wide for room and she easily took over the lead through 1 mile in 1:37.50, and opened up a 1 1/2 length lead through 9f in 1:48.69. Diamond Rain, 6th early under William Buick, put in a strong 6 wide rally but She Feels Pretty held her off to win by a head in 2:00.80. It was a long 10 1/2 lengths back to late-running 16-1 Ready for Shirl third.
Pgm Horse Jockey Win Place Show 4 She Feels Pretty Velazquez 2.90 2.10 2.10 3 Diamond Rain Buick 2.80 2.10 7 Ready for Shirl Castellano 3.40 Winning Time: 2:00.80 $1 Exacta 4-3 3.00 $2 Trifecta 4-3-7 23.40 $2 Superfecta 4-3-7-1 77.10Results chart |
Left: She Feels Pretty in the winner's circle. Winning jockey John Velazquez said, "So now, I have her covered up, and I've got to get in the clear a little bit. From then on it was a wrestling match with her. I didn't want to move too soon [because] the horse from Europe [Diamond Rain] was really close and really good. I wrestled with [She Feels Pretty] past the 5/16ths pole and then finally put my hands down to let her do her thing. The last 16th of a mile, I don't know what she saw, but she got lost. I thought, 'Come on, don't do this to me now. We're almost there,' but she got it done."
Right: She Feels Pretty gets hosed off after the race.
Left: She Feels Pretty in the paddock before the race. Winning trainer Cherie DeVaux said, "The last couple weeks, she was training so well, and it made sense to come her now instead of waiting a couple more weeks for the Flower Bowl." DeVaux said She Feels Pretty will run in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Del Mar on November 1.
Right: She Feels Pretty heads to the winner's circle after the race. Velazquez added, "Somebody hit her from behind and she got really anxious. I felt it when she switched her leads back and forth. You can see she cut through her bandages. She got hit pretty good. And then she got pretty keen."
Left: Second place finisher Diamond Rain in the paddock before the race. The Charlie Appleby trainee improved her record to 4 wins, 1 second, and 0 thirds in 7 starts, earning $297,007 for owner-breeder Godolphin.
Right: Third place finisher Ready for Shirl returns after the race. The Roger Attfield trainee improved her record to 4 wins, 2 seconds, and 2 thirds in 13 starts, earning $339,687 for owner-breeder Charles Fipke.
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