Barn Tour: DeVaux updates on She Feels Pretty + 13 other stars

Now in her seventh year on her own as a trainer, Cherie DeVaux has compiled quite a resume.

Her 22 graded-stakes wins include her first Breeders' Cup score, achieved with More Than Looks last year in the Mile. Even without the $1.8 million paycheck from that victory, she would have had her best year yet, earnings-wise.

There's certainly not a drop-off this year. DeVaux's 20% win percentage is her best ever, and her average winnings per start of nearly $24,000 aren't much behind last year's Breeders' Cup-enhanced figure of $25,461.

"We have a lot of older horses that are running well," DeVaux told Horse Racing Nation this week. "But now we're mostly just getting our babies started, our 2-year-olds, so an exciting and fun time of the year."

Speaking from Saratoga, DeVaux provided an update on the top runners in her stable for HRN's Barn Tour series, including a bit on those 2-year-olds.

She Feels Pretty. This 4-year-old Karakontie filly has hit the board in each of her 12 career starts, winning eight of them. Five of her last six starts have been Grade 1 wins, most recently in the E. P. Taylor, a win-and-you're-in for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf. That string was broken two starts back when she was second by a head in the Diana (G1). "We had the year mapped out before the E.P. Taylor had been moved, just in the technical spot, it was going to be her last race before Breeders' Cup, but it's been changed. So right now we are weighing options, whether we run her in something like the Waya or we just train up for the Breeders' Cup." The Waya (G3) is set for Oct. 4 at Aqueduct.

Brilliant Berti. The 4-year-old Noble Mission colt, second in earnings for DeVaux behind She Feels Pretty, has been on a win-lose pattern. He won the Wise Dan (G2) last out in June for his second graded-stakes win. He's on track to run in the Mint Millions (G3) on Sept. 6 at Kentucky Downs, where he was a winner last year in the Gun Runner. "We were going to freshen him and point him to this spot," DeVaux said.

Vahva. The 5-year-old mare by Gun Runner won the Chicago (G2) last out in June to break a four-race losing streak that began after she won last year's Chicago. "Vahva's been training well. Out of the Chicago, she's entered in the Pink Ribbon (on Friday at Charles Town), which was what we were planning on going toward for her."

Rebel Red. The 5-year-old son of Frankel was a half-length from winning his first graded stakes last out when he was second to El Cordobes in the Sword Dance (G1). “His next target is the Joe Hirsch (Turf Classic, G1). He's been a really neat horse throughout his career with facing adversity and continuing to not to let things bother him. It was great to see him run second in the Sword Dancer and almost get that Grade 1 win. He's a full to Without Parole, who's actually really doing well as a stallion over in Europe. Exciting things if he can get things done and create his own little path to make him possibly be a stallion.”

Deep Satin. The 4-year-old American Pharoah filly also nearly got her first graded win last out, finishing second in the Ballston Spa (G2). "She's another one, couple of races, including maybe a trip out to Del Mar for their last weekend. We've just got to get her back breezing and then we'll come up with a target for her."

Retribution. The 3-year-old Vekoma colt has three wins from five starts, scoring Monday in a black-type stakes at Parx. He'll likely make his next start in the Gallant Bob (G2), also at Parx.

Cagliostro. The 5-year-old gelding by Upstart is looking to break a six-race losing streak, most recently finishing fifth in the Hanshin at Churchill Downs in June. He's entered in an optional-claiming allowance at Saratoga on Friday. "He had hit himself in the stall, so we decided to scratch him out of the Cowboy Jones (on Aug. 10 at Ellis Park). Got him re-entered here as a Plan B, and then if he runs well, something like the Ack Ack for him.” The Ack Ack (G3) is Sept. 27 at Churchill Downs.

Taking Candy. The 5-year-old son of Twirling Candy got his first graded-stakes win in the Fair Grounds (G3) in February and is 0-for-3 since, including a loss by a nose to Brilliant Berti in the Wise Dan. Last out, he was fifth in the Kentucky Downs Preview Mint Millions Turf Mile after cutting back in distance. "He's doing really well. (His next start could be in) something like the Bernard Baruch. We ran him a mile. A mile is too short, so something a little bit farther, a mile and a sixteenth, like the Bernard Baruch."

Sweet Seraphine. The 3-year-old Quality Road filly had one start last year, returned in May at Churchill Downs and is 2-for-3 this year after finishing fifth in Tuesday's Cathryn Sophia Stakes at Parx. "She had an infection that caused us to scratch out of the Coaching Club (American Oaks, G1), but she's fine now," DeVaux said before the filly's Tuesday start.

2-year-olds

The juvenile with the highest profile in DeVaux's barn, for now at least, is Dr. Agne. Named for the late Dr. Bob Agne, a friend of DeVaux's and equine podiatrist, the Into Mischief colt won his debut at Saratoga in July. (Read more here.) "Dr. Agne will get back on the turf, where he was supposed to run, in the With Anticipation (G3). … Obviously, there's an emotional component to it. But regardless of that, he has a lot of talent. He's a horse that's shown that from the beginning when he first came in. He's a really neat horse. He's cool."

Also 1-for-1 is Glory Me, a Gun Runner filly purchased as a yearling for $975,000 by Lael Stable and winner of her Ellis Park debut in July. She's a half-sister to Pyrenees. "Glory Me is up in Saratoga, and she's in training to point towards the Spinaway (G1). … She's a beautiful filly, has shown a lot of talent, she's got a huge pedigree, so she's kind of got all the tools going for her. She's a little temperamental, so we started her at Ellis, where it's just a quieter environment for her to get her first race done. But this was our plan. If she ran as well as we'd hoped, which she did, was take her to the Spinaway from there."

"Another cool one" is She Feels Stunning, who's by American Pharoah and is a half-sister to She Feels Pretty. She sold for $675,000 as a yearling to Lael Stable. DeVaux said she's targeting a maiden race at the end of the Saratoga meet for her debut.

"And then we have Zenyatta's last foal in Nymue," DeVaux said. "She's the last hope for Zenyatta to have something, and she acts really talented. She's a big filly. That's probably going to be two turns later in the fall. … She's just going to take a while, so maybe around Keeneland she'd make her first start."

Another one at Saratoga with a strong pedigree is Shuggy, by Twirling Candy out of the Medaglia d'Oro mare Zellda. His granddam is Zenyatta. "Shuggy's a lot more precocious." DeVaux said "He might be a little sooner to the races."