Lael Stables’ She Feels Pretty heads a field of 10 3-year-old fillies entered Saturday for the 41st running of the $750,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) Presented by Dixiana to be run Saturday, Oct. 12.
The 1⅛-mile grass test will go as the eighth race on next Saturday’s 10-race program with a 4:44 p.m. ET post time. First post is 1 p.m.
Trained by Cherie DeVaux, She Feels Pretty won the Johnnie Walker Natalma (G1) at Woodbine and from there was the favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) in which she was third in a field of 14, beaten only a half-length.
She Feels Pretty comes into the race off a narrow runner-up finish to Flanagan Racing’s Grayosh in the Lake Placid (G2) at Saratoga. John Velazquez has the mount from post 3.
Grayosh is one of two entrants for trainer Chad Brown, who also will send out Klaravich Stables’ Oversubscribed (GB). Flavien Prat will ride Grayosh from post 9 and Irad Ortiz Jr. has the mount on Oversubscribed from post 6.
Invading from Europe are Highclere Thoroughbred Racing’s Soprano (IRE), a Group 3 winner trained by George Boughey, and HH The Aga Khan’s Candala (FR), a Group 3 winner trained by Francis-Henri Graffard.
Billy Loughnane has the mount on Soprano from post 5, and Florent Geroux will pilot Candala from post 10.
The most accomplished runner in the field at Keeneland is Rigney Racing’s Buchu. Trained by Phil Bauer, Buchu is 2-for-2 here with the victories coming last fall in the Jessamine (G2) Presented by Keeneland November and this spring in the Appalachian (G2) Presented by Japan Racing Association. Junior Alvarado has the mount from post 7.
The field for the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Presented by Dixiana, with trainers, riders and weights from the rail out, is:
Post | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Weight |
1 | Pin Up Betty | Mike Maker | Luis Saez | 121 pounds |
2 | Caitlinhergrtness | Kevin Attard | Frankie Dettori | 121 |
3 | She Feels Pretty | Cherie DeVaux | John Velazquez | 121 |
4 | Waves of Mischief | Brendan Walsh | Tyler Gaffalione | 121 |
5 | Soprano (IRE) | George Boughey | Billy Loughnane | 121 |
6 | Oversubscribed (GB) | Chad Brown | Irad Ortiz Jr. | 121 |
7 | Buchu | Phil Bauer | Junior Alvarado | 121 |
8 | Pounce | Mark Casse | Jose Ortiz | 121 |
9 | Grayosh | Chad Brown | Flavien Prat | 121 |
10 | Candala (FR) | Francis-Henri Graffard | Florent Geroux | 121 |