Saturday is King’s Plate day at Woodbine, but Canada’s version of the Kentucky Derby isn’t the only major race on tap. The undercard is headlined by the Grade 1 E. P. Taylor Stakes, a “Win and You’re In” event for the Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf.
This year’s E.P. Taylor drew a field of seven, but the morning line says it may be a one-horse race. We’ll dive in and offer insight below!
That overwhelming chalk is #4 SHE FEELS PRETTY (3-5 morning-line odds), and the next time she runs a poor race will be the first time she’s done so. Cherie DeVaux has trained this 4-year-old to a quartet of Grade 1 victories already, and she narrowly missed a fifth when beaten by a head in the Dunkin’ Diana Stakes at Saratoga last month.
This won’t be her first trip to the Great White North. She Feels Pretty came to Woodbine back in 2023 and won the Grade 1 Johnnie Walker Natalma Stakes as a 2-year-old. Since then, she’s emerged as one of the top turf Distaffers in North America, with wins from a mile to Saturday’s distance of 1 1/4 miles. As much as I’d like to provide a cutting-edge opinion in this space, I simply can’t go against her.
I think the best way to play the E.P. Taylor is to play a straight exacta and get the runner-up correct. The one I’ve settled on in second is #3 DIAMOND RAIN (6-1), who ships in from Europe for Godolphin and Charles Appleby. I much prefer her to fellow spoiler candidates #5 CAITLINHERGRTNESS (8-1), who seems to prefer synthetic surfaces and may be overbet off her win in last year’s King’s Plate, and #7 READY FOR SHIRL (7-2), who I think has just been beating up weaker competition.
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Diamond Rain was last seen winning a Group 3 race at Newmarket, and on paper, this is a jump up in class for her. However, there are plenty of positives here. Regular rider William Buick takes the long flight to Ontario to ride her, which is always noteworthy, and she’s relatively inexperienced (the E.P. Taylor will be just her seventh career start). Finally, she’s proven at this distance, with three wins at 10 furlongs or similar overseas.
There’s no value in betting She Feels Pretty at her expected price. She should be an odds-on favorite. However, playing a straight 4-3 exacta might offer some bang for your buck, because I don’t think Diamond Rain will be the second choice in that pool.
