Horses to Watch: Talented turf filly returns with big win
In this biweekly series, racing analyst Keeler Johnson shares promising horses from his handicapping watch list, reviewing runners who have recently caught his eye and previewing horses scheduled to run back in the near future.
New to the watch list
She Feels Pretty was one of the best 2-year-old turf fillies in North America last year. After rallying boldly to win her debut sprinting at Ellis Park, she trounced the one-mile, Grade 1 Natalma at Woodbine by 4 1/4 lengths before finishing third by a half-length in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.
The Cherie DeVaux trainee picked up where she left off when making her 3-year-old debut in Friday’s Hilltop at Pimlico. After settling as many as four lengths behind fractions of 23.92, 48.85 and 1:14.61 over a good course, She Feels Pretty exploded past the leaders and ran her final furlong in a snappy 11.71 seconds to dominate by 5 3/4 lengths in 1:38.59. The Belmont Oaks (G1) looks like a viable target for this talented daughter of Karakontie.
Recent watch list winner
Disarm
In his first start since finishing second in the Travers (G1) last summer, 2023 Matt Winn (G3) hero Disarm returned to action victorious in an $80,000 allowance optional claimer racing 1 1/16 miles on Saturday at Churchill Downs.
Disarm couldn’t have gotten an easier trip in a four-horse field, securing an uncontested lead through almost impossibly slow fractions of 25.74, 52.01 and 1:16.49 over a fast track. But he did display a strong turn-of-foot when challenged by a pace-tracking long shot, accelerating his final five-sixteenths of a mile in 29.39 seconds (an excellent fraction at the conclusion of a dirt route) to win by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:45.88.
With this encouraging comeback effort under his belt, Disarm appears poised for a big 4-year-old season. Given that he’s a graded stakes winner at Churchill Downs, perhaps we’ll see him turn up in the $1 million Stephen Foster (G1) on June 29 at Churchill.
Worth another try
Catching Freedom
Closed ground steadily from midfield to finish third in the Preakness at Pimlico, beaten 2 1/4 lengths for first prize and a head for second place. It’s possible Catching Freedom isn’t quite up to winning at the Grade 1 level right now, though on-the-board finishes in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness are nothing to sneeze at. Perhaps we’ll see Catching Freedom drop in class to seek a confidence-boosting win in the Ohio Derby (G3) or Indiana Derby (G3) this summer.
The Kentucky Derby winner put forth a gallant effort in the Preakness, saving ground in fourth position early on before splitting horses to launch a challenge. He couldn’t reel in the victorious pacesetter Seize the Grey, finishing 2 1/4 lengths behind, but he did preserve second place by a head over Catching Freedom. Mystik Dan is the division leader for now, and his talent, coupled with his willingness to race inside and accelerate through small openings, should help him remain a force to reckon with through the summer.
Off the watch list
In Theory
Stretched out around two turns for a one-mile $150,000 allowance optional claimer on Saturday at Santa Anita, where she carved out fractions of 23.58, 48.31 and 1:12.42 before weakening slightly to finish second by half a length. It wasn’t a bad try (she pulled 4 3/4 lengths clear of the third-place finisher), but after two straight defeats I’ll want to see In Theory get back to the winner’s circle before supporting her again.
Here is my complete, updated list of Horses to Watch.