She Feels Pretty looks to rebound with another Grade 1 win in E.P. Taylor

She Feels Pretty will return to the site of her first Grade 1 victory Saturday, looking to take down another Grade 1 in the E.P. Taylor for fillies and mares going 1 1/4 miles at Woodbine. Since winning the Grade 1 Natalma in September of 2023 as a 2-year-old, the Cherie DeVaux-trained She Feels Pretty has won three Grade 1 races.

She Feels Pretty had a four-race win streak snapped last out when she was upset in the Grade 1 Diana at Saratoga. Excellent Truth got up in the final strides of that race after She Feels Pretty got the lead perhaps too early.

“The grass may be a little softer than she wants it, but the other horse ran great. I can’t take it away from her. The horse came back, and I got all over her and switched and tried to intimidate her and she came back again,” jockey John Velazquez said following the Diana.

The Diana was run over “good” turf, though She Feels Pretty won the Grade 1 New York two starts ago over yielding turf, albeit against a lesser group. Even DeVaux was hesitant to suggest She Feels Pretty enjoyed the soggy going of the New York.

“Having a filly like that is super special,” DeVaux said. "I think of all things this is what she would least be wanting to do. I don’t think she likes the (soft grass) course. Johnny commented that the first time around she didn’t really tug him around there, but she’s such a professional. She just did it.”

Velazquez will be aboard once again Saturday from post 4 and the pair are set as the 3-5 morning-line favorite. With seven wins in 11 starts, She Feels Pretty is approaching $2 million in earnings.

The main challenge for She Feels Pretty on Saturday is likely to come from local runner Ready for Shirl, who won the Grade 2 Canadian last out at Woodbine. That race was at 1 1/8 miles, which seemed to suit Ready for Shirl better and suggests Saturday’s distance would also help. Javier Castellano will ride the late runner for trainer Roger Attfield.

Venencia was third in the Canadian but arguably ran better than the two in front of her. Venencia has yet to break through at the graded-stakes level and switches from trainer Chad Brown to Michael Doyle.

Local favorite Caitlinhergrtness is a candidate to wire the field Saturday. Winner of the King’s Plate last year, the Kevin Attard runner has run well on turf but appears to run better on Tapeta. Caitlinhergrtness was second in the Grade 3 Trillium last out, a race won by Literate, also in Saturday’s field. Flavien Prat rides Caitlinhergrtness Saturday and Sahin Civaci will ride Literate for trainer Marty Drexler, who also starts front-runner Hurricane Clair.

An interesting new face is Diamond Rain, who ships over for trainer Charlie Appleby. Appleby won last weekend’s Grade 1 Sword Dancer at Saratoga with El Cordobes and ran third with Nations Pride. Diamond Rain has won 4 of 6 races in Great Britain, including a last-out Tapeta race at Newcastle. While she hasn’t won a major race yet, Diamond Rain has squared off with some top fillies, including besting Group 2 winner Running Lion two starts ago. Williams Buick is in town to ride.

The E.P. Taylor is part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series, as a "Win and You're In" qualifying races for the BC Filly and Mare Turf on Nov. 1 at Del Mar.

Saturday’s card includes five other stakes, topped by the King’s Plate, the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown.

The Catch A Glimpse features a field of eight 2-year-old fillies going 6 1/2 furlongs on turf. Only three runners have won a prior race.

Simcoe is favored in the Grade 3 Bold Venture, a 6 1/2-furlong Tapeta race. In his last seven starts, Simcoe has won three of them and finished second in the other four.

Dresden Row returns to turf in the one-mile, Grade 2 King Edward. Dresden Row was second in the Grade 3 Seagram Cup last out as the favorite. Cruden Bay is the tepid 5-2 morning-line favorite after winning the Grade 2 Connaught Cup.

Two Out Hero, a 12-length maiden winner, meets Casson, winner of the Victoria Stakes, in the 6 1/2 furlong Soaring Free on turf for 2-year-olds.

The Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In is an international series of 93 stakes races in15 countries whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race at the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, held this year at Del Mar on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1.

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