Division rankings: She Feels Pretty is in Saratoga spotlight

The first 10 starts of She Feels Pretty’s career have gone about as smoothly as possible, seven wins in three seasons, and a résumé that quietly has become elite.

The daughter of Karakontie has pulled off something no U.S.-based turf filly has done since Rushing Fall, winning a Grade 1 at ages 2, 3 and 4. Rushing Fall took it one step further with a Grade 1 at 5, but She Feels Pretty is already in rare air. 

She Feels Pretty, my top-ranked turf filly, won’t have time to rest on her résumé as this weekend’s Diana (G1) brings a rare treat, a mid-season clash featuring the top four in the division. Here’s how the female turf rankings stand heading into what is the most contentious race this division has seen all year.

Turf females

1. She Feels Pretty. Scored again in the New York Stakes (G1) at Saratoga last out. She has won at six racetracks in her career and easily leads this division, having scored wins in both of her starts this year and four straight overall going back to last season. Will run in the Diana (G1) at Saratoga this weekend.

2. Excellent Truth. Runner-up again, this time in the Just a Game (G1). Before that she was clearly best in the Jenny Wiley (G1) but had to settle for second behind Choisya in her seasonal debut. Will face the top one in the Diana.

3. Be Your Best. An East Coast grass mare shipping west and romping in the Gamely (G1) is rare, but she made it look easy. Although she had prior experience over the Santa Anita turf, this marked her first Grade 1 win. Now 2-for-3 on the season, she kicked off the year with a win in the Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G2). Gets a shot to claim the top spot this weekend in the Diana.

4. Dynamic Pricing. Has stepped up this season and won her first two starts, the last being the Just a Game for her first top-level score. Can take over leadership of this division with a win in the Diana.

5. Beach Bomb. Ran very well in the New York to be second best to She Feels Pretty. She scored wins earlier this season in the Orchid (G3) and The Very One (G3) at Gulfstream.

Next five: Kehoe Beach, Ag Bullet, Saffron Moon, Choisya, Bellezza.

A star-studded cast assembles in the Diana to challenge She Feels Pretty’s grip on the division. For all she’s accomplished, her hold on the top spot faces its stiffest test yet. 

Among her challengers are three fellow Grade 1 winners from this season alone, Be Your Best, fresh off her Gamely win in California; Dynamic Pricing, who captured the Just a Game at Saratoga; and Choisya, the springtime star of the Jenny Wiley at Keeneland. Also in the gate is Excellent Truth, who has finished second in three straight Grade 1s and knocking on the door, along with Lady Claypoole, runner-up to Be Your Best last out. 

Dynamic Pricing rolls into the Diana fresh off a sharp win in the Just a Game on Belmont Stakes weekend, now 2-for-2 on the year and riding serious momentum. She’s no stranger to She Feels Pretty, as she chased her twice last season. But if she turns the tables here, she’ll take over the top spot in the division. 

Be Your Best won me over by shipping across the country and grabbing her first Grade 1 in the Gamely. Add that to her Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf score earlier in the year, and she’s built a strong resume. She’s the underdog this weekend but can’t be counted out. 

Excellent Truth has posted three straight runner-up finishes in Grade 1 company. With better racing luck, we could be talking about her as the divisional leader. 

Choisya took a tumble in these rankings after her run in the Just a Game, finishing off the board and falling out of the top five here. But let’s not forget that just one start prior she beat Excellent Truth in the Jenny Wiley (G1). If she can reproduce that form, then she’s in the mix here. 

And then there’s Lady Claypoole, the feel-good story of the field. It took her nine tries to break her maiden and another eight to win again. But since then? A win in the Santa Ana (G3) and a runner-up finish behind Be Your Best in the Gamely. But this is a tough ask. 

If She Feels Pretty emerges on top here over this field, there will be no doubt that this is her division.

Older dirt males

1. Mindframe. He kept his unbeaten 2025 campaign rolling with a popular win in the Stephen Foster (G1), planting his flag atop the older dirt male division for now. But he gives off strong Liam’s Map vibes, very good up to nine furlongs but unlikely to stretch his game to classic territory. Like Liam, don’t be shocked if his Breeders’ Cup destination is the Dirt Mile while the barn’s main classic ammo, Fierceness, aims for the Classic. Could meet his stablemate in the Whitney (G1) at Saratoga next time out.

2. Raging Torrent. He’s 2-for-2 this year, with a Dubai win in the Godolphin Mile (G2) and a Met Mile (G1) score where he knocked off the division’s previous top two. He's ranked second for now, but a Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile clash with Mindframe is looming. 

3. Fierceness. No excuses when runner-up in the Met Mile. We are halfway through the season and this guy has just one Grade 2 win. He likely will run next in the Whitney at Saratoga.

4. White Abarrio. He too had no excuses in the Met Mile, where he finished a distant fourth. He did win his previous two starts this season, a dominant Pegasus World Cup (G1) score and a confident win in the Ghostzapper (G3) at Gulfstream. Also will start next in the Whitney.

5. Sierra Leone. Showed up again with his run in a major race as he closed well to be runner-up to Mindframe in the Stephen Foster. Will be very dangerous when he gets back to 10 furlongs and the Breeders' Cup Classic. 

Next five: Locked, Hit Show, First Mission, Most Wanted, Mystik Dan.

Older dirt females

1. Thorpedo Anna. Rebounded from her off-the-board finish in the La Troienne (G1) to score a facile win in the Fleur de Lis (G2) at Churchill Downs. Although her numbers are historically slow for a top-ranked member of this division, she continues to be the clear leader in the division, mostly because no one else has pieced together a résumé strong enough to challenge her.

2. Cavalieri. Undefeated and getting better with each start, but she’s skipping major races. No Apple Blossom (G1), no La Troienne and no Santa Margarita (G2). Championships aren’t won in the barn. If she keeps ghosting big races, she will drop in the rankings. She’s not expected back until Del Mar.

3. Richi. She steamrolled the Santa Maria (G2) at Santa Anita, opening up by more than four lengths and giving a nice boost to Cavalieri, who beat her the race before. This Chilean import has done nothing but impress since arriving stateside. She has five solid efforts since June, plus a Group 1 win at 10 furlongs back home. She’s got stamina, class and momentum. A serious player in this division.

4. Dorth Vader. Scored a surprise in in the Ogden Phipps (G1) last time out for her first top-level win. Before that she was off the board in the La Troienne.

5. Raging Sea. No shock she came up empty as the beaten favorite in the Ogden Phipps, settling for a distant third. Yes, she won the La Troienne in her seasonal debut. But from a speed-figure standpoint, that was one of the slowest Grade 1 wins we’ve ever seen from an older dirt female. This division is officially in disarray.

Next five: Power Squeeze, Royal Spa, Gin Gin, Seismic Beauty, Dazzling Move.

3-year-old males

1. Sovereignty. This guy showed up on Belmont day and left no doubt who was best, handling yet another off track. The track condition for the Belmont was changed to good after the race but to many observers it was still muddy. He holds the edge over Journalism at the season’s halfway mark, and these two clearly have separated themselves from the pack in this division. Here’s hoping we get the rematch everyone wants in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Could run next in the Jim Dandy (G2) at Saratoga.

2. Journalism. No real excuses in the Belmont. He ran well but was simply second best on the day. Back to California to regroup, he could run next in the Haskell (G1) at Monmouth. 

3. Baeza. Again was third best in a Triple Crown race, this time a distant third in the Belmont. He also head´d back to California to regroup. Still in search of his first stakes win.

4. Burnham Square. Ran a solid race in the Matt Winn (G3), just missing by a half-length to East Avenue at 8 1/2 furlongs. Of course, he already got the better of that rival going nine furlongs in the Blue Grass (G1). Next up is either the Jim Dandy or the Haskell, where the distance might tilt things back in his favor.

5. Magnitude. I’m bumping this guy all the way into the top five, even if his Iowa Derby comeback was basically a glorified allowance win. Before that, he romped in the Risen Star (G2) over a sloppy Fair Grounds track with an eye-popping figure. If you trust the numbers, he’s right there with the division’s top two. And as a confirmed front runner, he adds a new wrinkle to an already compelling group.

Next 5: Sandman, East Avenue, Tappan Street, Gosger, Coal Battle.

3-year-old fillies

1. Good Cheer. She doesn't lose her spot here after one loss, as she had built up a sizable lead. Like Raging Sea in the Phipps, the loss by this gal in the Acorn (G1) wasn't that surprising given her numbers in previous starts. Will try to right the ship in her next start, the Alabama (G1) on Aug. 16.

2. La Cara. Dominant winner of the Acorn last time out, she now has two Grade 1 wins on the season after previously scoring in the Ashland at Keeneland. Will run next in the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) on July 19 at Saratoga. 

3. Nitrogen. This turf standout finally tasted defeat in the Belmont Oaks, finishing a close second and ending her five-race win streak. Now, her connections are pivoting back to dirt for the Alabama (G1) in August, a surface she tried earlier this season, romping by 17 lengths in the slop against a sparse field of two.

4. Quietside. Didn’t look like she cared for the slop in the Kentucky Oaks (G1), fading to sixth. Before that, she delivered a gutsy win in the Fantasy (G2), outdueling Simply Joking in a thrilling stretch battle.

5. Tenma. Ran better than I expected in the Kentucky Oaks when attending a quick pace but faltering late to finish fourth. Previously she scored in the Santa Anita Oaks (G2).

Next five: Drexel Hill, Five G, Simply Joking, Muhimma, Immersive.

Turf males

1. Far Bridge. Ran well in the Manhattan (G1), where he clearly wanted more ground and came up short by two heads. Before that he scored another win in the Man o' War (G2) at Aqueduct. He kicked off 2025 with a hard-fought neck victory in the Pan American (G2) at Gulfstream. Gets the slight nod here over Spirit of St Louis because of his head-to-head win. Will run this weekend in the Bowling Green (G2) at Saratoga.

2. Spirit of St Louis. He’s made a habit of trading wins and losses. After finishing off the board in the Manhattan, it was easy to forget he was the star of the Turf Classic (G1) on Derby day, a win that gave him two Grade 1 scores already this season. He's 2-for-4 on the season, and in his two losses he was off the board.

3. Deterministic. Scored a big win in the shortened Manhattan run at nine furlongs the day after the Belmont Stakes. The Manhattan was his first Grade 1 win. He is 2-for-3 on the season, previously scoring in the Fort Marcy (G2) at Aqueduct.

4. Integration. His Manhattan runner-up finish was his third in Grade 1 company this season.

5. Johannes. Back in training now, and I'm hoping to see him back at the races soon. He won the San Gabriel (G2) in December, capping off a stellar 2024 campaign with five graded-stakes victories from six starts. His only loss came as a runner-up to More Than Looks in the Breeders’ Cup Mile. 

Next five: King of Gosford, Dashman, Formidable Man, Utah Beach, Mercante.

Male sprinters

1. Raging Torrent. Like Mitole in 2019, he leads this division as well as being ranked in the older dirt male division. He scored his biggest career win in the Met Mile, defeating a small but solid field. His only loss in his last seven starts was last fall's Breeders' Cup Sprint. Will run next in the Pat O' Brien (G2) at Del Mar in August.

2. Straight No Chaser. The reigning Breeders’ Cup Sprint champion disappointed in Dubai, finishing eighth in the Golden Shaheen (G1). Before that he kicked off 2025 with a win in the Riyadh Dirt Sprint (G2) in Saudi Arabia. Targeting the Bing Crosby (G1) at Del Mar in late July for his next start.

3. Mindframe. I'm keeping him here because hie scored a Grade 1 win sprinting in the Churchill Downs Stakes (G1), so he’s earned his spot. Although I doubt we will see him sprinting again this season, there is a very good chance he will be back at a mile come Breeders' Cup time.

4. Book'em Danno. Suffered a brutal defeat, losing by two heads and a neck to finish fourth in the Churchill Downs Stakes just behind Mindframe and Nysos in early May. But then he came back last time out in the True North (G2) to defeat Mullikin and Nakatomi at Saratoga. 

5. Nysos. Scored a big win in the Triple Bend (G3) last out and before that was a close third sprinting in the Churchill Downs Stakes. Until he stretches back out, he is ranked in this division.

Next five: Mullikin, Booth, Big City Lights, Nakatomi, Patch Adams.

Female sprinters

1. Kopion. Despite her loss to Sweet Azteca in the Great Lady M (G2) last out, she still holds on to this top spot. Previous to this loss, she made a mockery of her 8-1 morning line in the Derby City Distaff (G1), storming home with authority. With Kopion, Sweet Azteca and Ways and Means all likely headed to the Breeders' Cup at Del Mar, this top-heavy division is shaping up to deliver one of the Breeders’ Cup’s marquee showdowns. Kopion is slated to run next in the Ballerina (G1) at Saratoga. 

2. Sweet Azteca. Scored a remarkable comeback win in the Great Lady M where she defeated Kopion. This came nine months to the day after her last race, a stunning off-the-board finish at 1-9 odds in the four-horse Chillingworth (G3) at Santa Anita. Prior to that loss she had won three graded stakes in a row. Obviously a major player in this division when she is right.

3. Ways and Means. Absolutely dominated the Bed o' Roses (G2), drawing off by more than seven lengths and staking her claim as likely the top female sprinter on the East Coast. Before that, she was a solid third in the Derby City Distaff behind the top-ranked Kopion.

4. Nic's Style. This Florida-bred is 7-for-8 in her career, her only loss a runner-up to Ways and Means last year in the Gallant Bloom (G2). She won the Hurricane Bertie (G3) last out for her fourth win in a row. A serious player in this division.

5. Two Sharp. Has made only one appearance this season but made it count, cruising to an easy win in the Winning Colors (G3) at Churchill Downs, taking down Hope Road and the rest with little trouble.

Next five: Richi, Hope Road, Scylla, Vahva, Positano Sunset.