In 2016 Karl Watson, Mike Pegram, and Paul Weitman's Pretty N Cool fired off of a nearly seven-month layoff to win the C.E.R.F. Stakes at Del Mar. In 2017 the layoff was only six months, but she fired just the same to win the $100,000 Las Flores Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita Park.
The 4-year-old Scat Daddy filly pressed early leader Sensitively in the backstretch during the six-furlong test, easily moved by her frontrunning rival, and easily held off a late challenge from favored grade 1 winner Constellation to win by 1 3/4 lengths under jockey Martin Garcia.
Under a drive midway through the turn Constellation, last-out winner of the La Brea Stakes (G1), was four lengths back with a furlong to run and never seriously challenged the winner, who finished off the distance in 1:10.49 as light rain showers hit the Arcadia, Calif., racetrack.
Pretty N Cool is now undefeated in three starts at six furlongs, which includes the C.E.R.F. and the 2015 Matron Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park.
"She was ready today and I think this is her best distance—six furlongs," Garcia said. "She has a lot of natural speed.
"She likes to run with time in between races and does well when she gets it."
Sensitively ran the first quarter in :21.88, but Pretty N Cool took over to run a half in :44.63 and never saw her lead diminish to less than a length after that.
"She ran nice and we really like the price (she got) too," Pegram said of the 9-2 odds Pretty N Cool went off at. "If you look at her work pattern, she was ready to run today, and Bobby is pretty good off the layoff."
Ponder Lea passed Sensitively late for third and Watch This Cat, who trailed throughout, completed the order of finish.
Bred in Kentucky by Nancy Shuford, out of the Rockport Harbor mare Stayclassysandiego, Pretty N Cool now has a 5-1-1 record from 11 starts and $498,905 in earnings. She was a $160,000 purchase by Watson, Pegram, and Weitman out of the 2014 Keeneland September yearling sale.
