She Feels Pretty toughs it out in New York; Parchment Party revels in off-turf Belmont Gold Cup

Odds-on She Feels Pretty averted an upset in Friday’s $750,000 New York (G1) on a yielding course at Saratoga. 

The character of the $250,000 Belmont Gold Cup (G3) changed entirely when it was transferred to the sloppy main track, setting the stage for Parchment Party to draw into the field and score a stakes breakthrough. 

She Feels Pretty and Parchment Party were part of a four-win day for Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez, along with Ogden Phipps (G1) upsetter Dorth Vader. 

New York (G1)

Lael Stables’ She Feels Pretty went off as the 1-2 favorite in the wake of blowout victories in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) at Keeneland, the American Oaks (G1) at Santa Anita, and the Modesty (G3) in a course-record comeback at Churchill Downs.

The Cherie DeVaux filly had to overcome two obstacles to extend her winning streak to four at the Spa: the soggy ground that blunted her acceleration, and a scrappy rival in the 17-1 Beach Bomb. 

“She was not loving it. She was not loving it all,” Velazquez said of She Feels Pretty. “She is just that good that she overcomes that.”

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

She Feels Pretty settled a couple of lengths off the pace, while Beach Bomb tried to leverage her closer stalking position. After monitoring pacesetting Edict through fractions of :24.27, :51.30, and 1:17.56, Beach Bomb made her bid for glory. 

Although She Feels Pretty soon tackled Beach Bomb, her usually devastating turn of foot was absent in the conditions. Beach Bomb, always up for a dogfight like her dam, South African champion Beach Beauty, kept up her fierce resistance. 

She Feels Pretty had to summon extra to defuse Beach Bomb by a half-length. The daughter of Karakontie slogged 1 3/16 miles on the Mellon course in 2:00.76.

Another four lengths adrift came Bellezza in a one-paced third. Forever After All checked in fourth, trailed by Miwa, Edict, and Gimme a Nother. Immensitude was scratched.

She Feels Pretty boasts a record of 10-7-1-2, $1,784,957. Also victorious in the 2023 Natalma (G1) and 2024 Hilltop S., the chestnut didn’t miss by much when placing in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1), Belmont Oaks (G1), and Lake Placid (G2). Her current streak began once she added blinkers last fall.

DeVaux mentioned that the July 12 Diana (G1) is the next objective, where she could meet Just a Game (G1) upsetter, Dynamic Pricing. 

Belmont Gold Cup (G3)

As soon as the Belmont Gold Cup surface switch was announced, the withdrawals poured in as heavily as the rain. Limited Liability, Anglophile, Le Mehana, and Lord Flintshire scratched, joining The Ginger Wizard, who bowed out earlier. 

One might have expected German shipper Flatten the Curve to skip a slop experiment, but his connections sportingly gave it a go. After all, trainer Henk Grewe had come all this way in hopes of securing a “Golden Ticket” to the Nov. 4 Melbourne Cup (G1). 

Flatten the Curve was a good soldier who tried his hardest, advancing into third before weakening and finding himself relegated to fourth. He fared better than others who had claims to act on the going, underscoring that the sloppy, sealed track wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea.

It did suit Pin Oak Stud’s main-track-only entrant Parchment Party. Relishing the opportunity to run 1 3/4 miles, the Bill Mott trainee overwhelmed pacesetter Yo Daddy, who also drew in with the transfer to dirt, by 8 1/2 lengths. The 7-1 chance clocked 2:57.86 and paid $16.

Yo Daddy crossed the wire 14 1/2 lengths clear of Padiddle, with Flatten the Curve just three-quarters of a length back in fourth. Curbstone, 5-2 favorite Timeout (another main-track-only entrant), Tawny Port, and the eased Grand Sonata concluded the strung-out field.

Parchment Party has now earned $329,101 from his 10-3-1-1 line. As a two-year-old, he was known for winning the Churchill allowance that Catching Freedom lost as the troubled favorite. Catching Freedom went on to make noise on the Triple Crown trail, most memorably winning the 2024 Louisiana Derby (G2) and finishing fourth in the Kentucky Derby (G1) and third in the Preakness (G1).

Yet Parchment Party wasn’t seen again for 11 months, finally resurfacing last fall. A very late foal born on June 5, the well-named son of Constitution needed time to grow and mature. His two most recent efforts hinted that he was coming around again – a distant second at Keeneland to Just a Touch, who runs in Saturday’s Metropolitan H. (G1), and a third in Gould’s Gold’s track record-setting allowance at Churchill. 

Parchment Party is a half-brother to Grade 1 winner American Patriot and to Well Humored, the dam of Saturday’s Woody Stephens (G1) contender Patch Adams. Parchment Party’s dam, the Tiznow mare Life Well Lived, is a full sister to 2009 Dubai World Cup (G1) romper Well Armed.