She Feels Pretty goes for her fourth straight victory as the heavy favorite in the $750,000 New York Stakes while Excellent Truth and Choisya meet again in the $500,000 Just A Game, a pair of Grade 1 events for turf fillies and mares on Friday, Day 3 of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course.
The New York, which will be run as Race 12 (post time 6:25 p.m. ET), and the Just A Game, Race 13 (post time 7:04 p.m.), are two of the four Grade 1 races for the ladies on the 14-race card, along with the $500,000 Ogden Phipps (Race 9, post time 4:28 p.m.), a “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) and the $500,000 Acorn Stakes (Race 11, post time 5:46 p.m.)
She Feels Pretty, trained by Cherie DeVaux, launched her 4-year-old campaign in style on May 2 at Churchill Downs, setting a course record as she came from just off the pace to score a 2 ¼-length victory over Gimme a Nother in the Modesty Stakes (G3). The three-time Grade 1 winner covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:45.2 in an effort DeVaux called “workmanlike.”
“(The) track record ... was amazing since we were just getting a race into her,” DeVaux said. “We’re happy with her, and she came out of that in good order. Hopefully, she takes a step forward here.”
She Feels Pretty, who has won at distances from 5 ½ furlongs to 1 ¼ miles, will go postward in the 1 3/16-mile New York as the favorite (3-5) for the eighth straight time, dating back to the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1), in which she was third. Overall, she has compiled a record of 6-1-2 from nine career starts, including three Grade 1’s, with earnings of $1,372,457.
“She's a big, strong filly,” DeVaux said. “She's progressed really well. Since she started her career, she's stepped up every year and every race. Hopefully, she continues in that trajectory as she continues on with her racing career.”
Among the seven older fillies and mares challenging the daughter of Karakontie will be the aforementioned Gimme a Nother and Beach Bomb, South African fillies both trained by H. Graham Motion.
In addition to the Modesty, Gimme a Nother was three-quarters of a length back in the Hillsborough Stakes (G2) at Tampa Bay Downs in her stateside debut. Beach Bomb has been racing in North America for almost a year, fashioning a mark of 2-2-1 from six starts, with her only off-the-board effort coming when eighth, beaten 3 ½ lengths, in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1) at Del Mar.
“I kind of hate to run against her (She Feels Pretty) again, but I think off the last race, she deserves a chance in here,” said Motion of Gimme a Nother.
As for Beach Bomb, Motion said: “I believe she deserves another shot in a Grade 1. She has moved forward with time.”
Both the Irish-bred Excellent Truth and Choisya (GB) finished 1-2 in their North American debut on April 12 at Keeneland, with Choisya holding on for a half-length victory in the Jenny Wiley (G1).
Choisya brings a 3-for-3 mark in 2025 into the one-mile Just a Game, having taken the Balanchine and the Cape Verde, both Grade 2s, at Meydan prior to her arrival in the United States.
“We thought this race would always suit her,” said trainer Ed Crisford. “The others that are entered are high-quality fillies who finished second and third to her have an allowance, but Choisya has kept on improving all season long. I think she’s better now than I’ve seen her all year.
“She’s very strong, really doing well and loves those flat American-style tracks. She has a great turn-of-foot and kicks off the bend and that showed in Dubai and at Keeneland. She’s won on everything from good-to-soft to good-to-firm ground, so she can handle any ground. Hopefully, she wins or runs well and if she does, we will hopefully stay out for the Diana and other options in August, as well.”
A 5-year-old mare, Excellent Truth will be making her second stateside start for trainer Chad Brown, who has won a record seven of the past eight editions of the Just a Game, including last year with Chili Flag. Brown has will also be saddling Beaugay (G3) winner Dynamic Pricing, and Segesta, most recently fourth in the Modesty (G3) behind New York (G1) favorite She Feels Pretty.
