Saratoga Previews: She Feels Pretty in top form for G1 Dunkin’ Diana; Far Bridge in G2 Bowling Green

Posted On 07 Jul 2025

By Christian Abdo —-

She Feels Pretty in top form for G1 Dunkin’ Diana

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Lael Stables’ She Feels Pretty brings a four-race win streak including three of her four top-level scores into Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Dunkin’ Diana, a nine-furlong inner turf test for older fillies and mares, at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Cherie DeVaux, the 4-year-old Karakontie chestnut won the 1 3/16-mile Grade 1, $750,000 New York presented by Rivers Casino last out on June 6 here. Under returning Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez, She Feels Pretty stalked over the yielding Mellon turf, edging Beach Bomb nearing the three-sixteenths en route to a half-length victory in a final time of 2:00.76.

“She’s doing well,” said DeVaux. “She’s trained well here since the New York, and she’s on track for this. She’s been very impressive this year.”

Impressive might be an understatement, seeing that She Feels Pretty annexed her seasonal debut by 2 1/4 lengths in a Churchill Downs nine-furlong turf record 1:45.51 in the Grade 3 Modesty in May. That triumph followed a pair of top-level scores to cap her sophomore campaign when adding blinkers in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup in October at Keeneland ahead of the Grade 1 American Oaks in December at Santa Anita Park.

“She has definitely been impressive,” DeVaux said. “She is proven at this distance. So, hopefully we keep on going with her winning streak.”

She Feels Pretty [post 1, John Velazquez] is 2-for-2 at nine furlongs, winning the aforementioned Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup and the Modesty. Her six-length romp in the former earned a career-best 100 Beyer Speed Figure, which she matched in the New York.

The $240,000 purchase from the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale is out of the winning New York-bred More Than Ready mare Summer Sweet – a half-sister to graded stakes-placed Adirondack Summer and stakes-winner Summer Breezing. She has banked in excess of $1.7 million via a perfect on-the-board 10-7-1-2 record with wins ranging from 5 1/2 furlongs to 1 1/4 miles.

The five-time Eclipse Award and record nine-time Diana-winning trainer Chad Brown will provide strong opposition as he sends out Grade 1-winner Dynamic Pricing [post 5, Dylan Davis] and multiple Grade/Group 1-placed Excellent Truth [post 4, Flavien Prat].

The Mechanicville, N.Y. native’s past scores include Zagora [2011], Dacita [2016], Lady Eli [2017], Sistercharlie [2018-19], Rushing Fall [2020], In Italian [2022] and Whitebeam [2023-24].

Klaravich Stables’ Irish-bred Dynamic Pricing stretches out in distance from a closing three-quarter-length victory in the one-mile Grade 1 Just a Game presented by Resolute Racing on June 6 here. The 4-year-old Night of Thunder bay traveled in 8th-of-9 early under Dylan Davis and showed a tremendous kick to top Excellent Truth in a final time of 1:38.77.

The performance over the yielding turf earned a career-best 100 Beyer, improving from a 93 in her previous late-footed win in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Beaugay in May at Belmont at the Big A.

Brown agreed Dynamic Pricing appreciated the cut in the ground.

“I’d say that is very accurate,” said Brown. “Let’s see how the turf is. She’s really improved this year. She got a nice break after last year. She really grew up and she’s come back a much more focused horse.”

Dynamic Pricing is 2-for-2 this year with an overall 9-4-0-3 record with $772,125 in earnings, including a closing score in last May’s 1 1/16-mile Grade 2 Edgewood on yielding green at Churchill.

Resolute Racing’s Irish-bred Excellent Truth has been second in her pair of efforts for current connections, including the Just a Game after a half-length defeat to returning rival Choisya in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley going 1 1/16 miles in April at Keeneland.

Piloted by Flavien Prat in both efforts, the 5-year-old Cotai Glory dark bay traveled in sixth position early and rallied to miss narrowly. In the Jenny Wiley, Excellent Truth was forced to steady late during a fierce stretch duel with her victorious returning foe, but still earned a career-best 100 Beyer in defeat.

“In both of her starts for me, she has been unlucky,” Brown said. “At Keeneland, she had a rough trip in the stretch and I’d say she is due for a cleaner trip this time around. At least, I hope so. Both Excellent Truth and Dynamic Pricing are on target for this, they’ve come out of their works well.”

Excellent Truth flexed her class with a good second in last July’s Group 1 Prix Rothschild and a win in the Listed Prix Goldikova – both over Deauville’s straight mile for previous conditioner Mauricio Delcher-Sanchez. A Group 3 winner at three, she boasts a 13-4-5-1 career ledger with $402,898 in earnings.

Trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. sends out Michael Ryan’s Irish-bred Be Your Best [post 6, Irad Ortiz, Jr.], a last-out 2 3/4-length gate-to-wire winner of the nine-furlong Grade 1 Gamely in May at Santa Anita.

The millionaire 5-year-old Muhaarar bay has won 4-of-6 efforts for Joseph, Jr. since transferring from trainer Horacio De Paz in October 2024, taking the 11-furlong Grade 3 Long Island at Aqueduct Racetrack, and Gulfstream Park’s one-mile Grade 3 Suwannee River and 1 1/16-mile Grade 2 Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational.

“She is a good workhorse, loves her job, and getting that Grade 1 win on her resume was huge,” said Joseph, Jr. “The nine furlongs is good. She is unique in the sense that she has enough speed to go a mile, and enough stamina to go longer. Her ability to have that variation of distance is unique, but I feel that nine furlongs is perfect for her. It tests both speed and stamina.”

With a prominent eighth versus returning foes in the Jenny Wiley before the Gamely, Be Your Best may be colder on the board than her returning rivals. Joseph, Jr. launched some memorable upsets last year, including with 44-1 The Queens M G in the Listed Schuylerville here and 19-1 Soul of an Angel in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Del Mar.

“The Diana is a step up in class again,” said Joseph, Jr. “We feel that if she gets firm turf, it is within her reach. The feeling is that she needs fast, firm ground.”

Rabbah Bloodstock’s British-bred Choisya [post 2, Luis Saez] did not run back to her 101 Beyer from the Wiley when finishing seventh in the Just a Game. Trained by Simon Crisford, the 5-year-old Night of Thunder chestnut captured the Group 2 Cape Verdi in January and Group 2 Balanchine in February in Dubai before heading across the pond.

In the Just a Game, Choisya stalked three-wide, making her move in the turn and drawing close to the pacesetting Kehoe Beach at the top of the lane before tiring. She has remained at the Spa since, posting a sharp 46.60-second half-mile breeze over the Oklahoma training turf on Independence Day.

Rounding out the field is the Richard Baltas-trained Grade 1-placed Lady Claypoole [post 3, Joel Rosario], the closing runner-up to Be Your Best in the Gamely last out.

The Dunkin’ Diana is slated as Race 11 on Saturday’s 12-race card which also features the Grade 2, $200,000 Bowling Green in Race 8. First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern.

Saratoga Live will present live coverage and analysis of the summer meet at Saratoga Race Course on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule/.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Saratoga Race Course, and the best way to bet every race of the summer meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

Far Bridge stretches back out in G2 Bowling Green

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – LSU Stables’ multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire Far Bridge will look to add to his impressive credentials in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Bowling Green, an 11-furlong inner turf test for older horses, at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Miguel Clement, the 5-year-old English Channel bay will stretch back out in distance from a neck third in the nine-furlong Grade 1 Resorts World Casino Manhattan on June 8 during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga.

There, he exited the outermost post 8 and was quickly taken to a ground-saving position by Hall of Fame jockey Joel Rosario. He tracked in third down the backstretch and was game when asked down the lane but could not reel in his pacesetting stablemate Deterministic, who scored by a head over a rallying Integration in a dramatic finish. The solid performance earned Far Bridge a 99 Beyer Speed Figure.

“Maybe the distance was a touch short at that level, but I think he ran a gallant race,” Clement said of the Manhattan effort. “He ran a terrific figure and came out of it in great order. He ran probably too good of a race to lose, but that’s racing for you.”

Far Bridge [post 7, Joel Rosario, 124 pounds] has arguably shown his best at extended distances with Grade 1 scores traveling 12-furlongs last year in the Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer in August at the Spa and the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic one month later at Belmont at the Big A as part of a tremendous campaign that concluded with an off-the-board finish in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf in November at Del Mar.

Far Bridge made a successful return to the races in March with a neck score over returning rival Corruption in the 12-furlong Grade 3 Pan American and added the 11-furlong Grade 2 Man o’ War to his ledger in May at Belmont at the Big A ahead of his Manhattan try.

Far Bridge worked a half-mile in 49.15 seconds July 4 over the Oklahoma training turf in company with Tawny Port, who is also entered in the Bowling Green.

“Top class,” Clement said of the work by Far Bridge. “He’s a very good horse. He looks out for himself, he knows the drill and where every pole is, and he breezes himself. He’s just poetry in motion.”

Far Bridge, who captured the Grade 1 Belmont Derby as a sophomore at Belmont Park, is out of the winning Kitten’s Joy mare Fitpitcher. His second dam is the winning A.P. Indy mare Teenage Temper, whose half-sister Pleasant Song produced Grade 2-winning millionaire Long Range Toddy.

Clement will also send out Peachtree Stable’s Tawny Port [post 3, Flavien Prat, 120 pounds], who will look to secure his first win since capturing the 2023 Listed John’s Call, a restricted event contested over 1 5/8-miles of firm Spa turf.

The 6-year-old Pioneerof the Nile dark bay has banked in excess of $1.3 million via a 25-5-3-5 ledger topped by Grade 3 dirt scores in 2022 as a 3-year-old in the Lexington at Keeneland and the Ohio Derby at Thistledown while in the care of trainer Brad Cox.

Tawny Port joined the barn of the late Christophe Clement in time for a fifth-place finish in the 2023 edition of the Grade 2 Bowling Green ahead of his aforementioned John’s Call score. He has raced exclusively in graded company through his last 10 outings, including close third-place finishes last year at Monmouth Park in the nine-furlong Grade 3 Monmouth and 11-furlong Grade 2 United Nations.

Clement said to draw a line through Tawny Port’s most recent off-the-board outing in the off-the-turf Grade 3 Belmont Gold Cup contested over 1 3/4-miles of sloppy and sealed footing on June 6 here.

“He’s doing great. He had no chance last time. He’s doing better than people think,” Clement said.

Tawny Port, a half-brother to the graded stakes-placed Broadway Lady, is out of the multiple graded stakes-placed Macho Uno mare Livi Makenzie. His second dam, Greta’s Joy, is a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire Surf Cat.

Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse will be represented by D.J. Stable’s graded stakes-winning millionaire Webslinger [post 5, Jose Ortiz, 120 pounds], who will look to go one better from a last-out three-quarter length second in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 2 Eclipse on May 31 over the Woodbine Tapeta.

“He ran great his first start back at Woodbine,” Casse said. “I’ve been very impressed with him. I think he’s training better than I’ve ever seen him. The key with him is he’ll sit back and make his run. I’m expecting a big year out of him.”

The 5-year-old Constitution gelding made the grade as a sophomore in the 2023 Grade 2 American Turf, besting Far Bridge by a nose in the 1 1/16-mile test over firm footing at Churchill Downs.

While Webslinger exited that effort to capture the nine-furlong Listed Audubon at Churchill, Far Bridge avenged his narrow loss with a Belmont Derby score where Webslinger closed from last-of-11 to finish a 1 1/2-length fourth. The familiar foes squared off once more that year here in the 1 3/16-mile Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational with Webslinger missing by a head to Program Trading and Far Bridge settling for third.

Webslinger hit the board in 4-of-6 starts last year led by a win in the 11-furlong Chorleywood over firm Churchill turf. He has banked in excess of $1.4 million through a 20-5-6-4 record.

Casse will also send out Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Harry Colburn’s Corruption [post 8, Javier Castellano, 120 pounds], who will look to build upon a fourth-place finish last out in the Grade 1 Manhattan.

The 4-year-old Medaglia d’Oro gelding has improved steadily through his eight-race career, winning a maiden-claiming turf mile at third asking on January 12 to kick off a three-race win streak at Gulfstream Park that included a one-mile allowance win on January 26 and a 12-furlong optional-claiming score on March 2.

Corruption proved his class with a neck second to Far Bridge in the aforementioned Pan American, a race he exited to wire a nine-furlong optional-claimer in May at Churchill Downs ahead of his Manhattan try.

“He’s definitely improved. He’s our most improved child for the year,” said Casse, with a laugh. “He likes to get in a rhythm and the farther you go, the easier it is to accomplish that.”

The $220,000 OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds-in-Training Sale purchase is out of the multiple graded stakes-placed Sky Mesa mare Thundering Sky.

Averill Racing’s Harrow [post 6, Irad Ortiz, Jr., 122 pounds] fulfilled a lifelong dream for Barbados-born trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. when he captured the Sandy Lane Barbados Gold Cup in March at the Garrison Savannah.

Harrow, with Rasheed Hughes up, won the nine-furlong event by one-length over Grade 3-winner Smokin’ T with graded stakes-placed Jerry the Nipper in third as part of a strong field that included the multiple graded stakes-placed 2024 Barbados Gold Cup winner Portfolio Company.

Joseph, Jr. said Harrow exited the Barbados Gold Cup in strong fashion, landing a prominent three-quarter length second last out in the Listed Cape Henlopen over 12-furlongs of firm footing on June 14 at Delaware Park.

“Obviously, I’m from Barbados, and I had never won it. For the ownership group, that was good,” Joseph, Jr. said. “I thought he was going to need that run last out, but I was pleased with the effort. He ran better than I thought. This race is coming up tough, but I feel like he will run quite well for himself. He always tries.”

The hard-knocking 7-year-old Lea gelding was haltered for $16,000 from a winning effort in April 2024 at Tampa Bay Downs and has won three times since to go along with a 1 3/4-length fifth in the 12-furlong Grade 3 W. L. McKnight in January at Gulfstream Park in his lone graded stakes start for Joseph, Jr.

A solid field includes Grade 3-winner Starting Over [post 1, Manny Franco, 124 pounds], who enters from a three-quarter-length third in the Cape Henlopen for trainer Brittany Russell; as well as a pair from Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher in Shadwell Stable’s Kentucky homebred El Rezeen [post 2, Dylan Davis, 120 pounds], who was a three-quarter length third behind the victorious Carson’s Run and runner-up Deterministic in last year’s 11-furlong Grade 3 Jockey Club Derby Invitational, and WinStar Farm and Rock Ridge Racing’s three-time winner Tucson [post 4, Luis Saez, 120 pounds]. Yo Daddy, Kuchar and Game Warden are entered for the main-track only.

The Bowling Green is slated as Race 8 on Saturday’s 12-race card, which is headlined by the Grade 1, $500,000 Dunkin’ Diana in Race 11. First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern.

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Contact: Keith McCalmont