Click here for a replay of the race and the post-race interview with winning connections.

John Velaquez (winning rider of favorite She Feels Pretty)

“First of all, (trainer) Cherie (DeVaux) has done a great job with her, coming back with her race after race. She’s running great races. The blinkers helped her today as well, and the cover up works with her. When she’s covered up and you pull her out, she passes horses. When she’s hanging on the outside of horses she thinks she’s breezing, and then she kind of stays with the horses and never passes. Today she was covered up, and when I pulled her out she was ready to go, and I made sure I kept her decent down the lane, just in case one of the European horses was coming running. So I wanted to keep her running. What a feeling when you pull her out and she gives you that quick spurt out of there. I was pretty happy with the way she did it, yeah.”

Cherie DeVaux (winning trainer)

“It’s extremely (gratifying) when you have a filly at this level. She puts it out there every time. She’s been unlucky; in her last two (races) she finished second (in the Lake Placid Stakes-G2 Aug. 17) and third (in the Belmont Oaks Invitational-G1 July 6). So we’ve been working with her with the blinkers, trying to get her to stick to her own task. I think (jockey) Johnny (Velazquez) hit it on the head with she needs cover and she just needs to come out and make that run.”

On how it feels to win a Grade 1 race at Keeneland

“Really good. I had a nightmare trip back from Newmarket (England). I got in at about 12:30 (p.m.) today, so this was well worth the sleeplessness, and who cares about the makeup I’m not wearing, because I’m all excited and bright red.”

Billy Loughnane (rider of runner-up Soprano-IRE)

“Nice run. She was a fraction slowly into stride and ended up in a nice position. She finished off good, she’s going to learn a lot from the race. Slightly unbalanced around the home turn, but she hit top gear towards the line.

“This is my first ride in the States. I was out in Palm Meadows (Training Center in Florida) for a few months a couple of years ago, but this is my first ride over here.

“I walked the course before the race. It’s a lovely course. It’s great to see so many people here as well. It’s a lovely track.” 

Frankie Dettori (rider of third-place finisher Caitlinhergrtness)

“She’s won the King’s Plate in Canada, one of the biggest races. I had a good trip. John (Velazquez) was much too good, and I was beaten second on the line. It was a great effort. I was trying to go as slow as I could (as the pacesetter).”