Gonna Fly Now delivers another impressive performance and continues to rise

The son of Key Deputy led from start to finish in the Handicap Vitelio, covering the 1,000-meter distance on heavy dirt while carrying 59.5 kilos

Gonna Fly Now continued to assert his dominance as the race progressed / HAPSA

Gonna Fly Now continues to shine with a dominant performance, overcoming weight, track conditions, and rivals in the Handicap Vitelio (1,000 meters, dirt) this Friday at Hipódromo Argentino de Palermo, one of two races above the usual level included in the day’s card.

The imposing 573 kilos of the gelding from the Doña Juanita stud stood out again in the intermediate sprinter division, dominating wire-to-wire without any trouble and rewarding his followers with a juicy $3.80 payout (he was a Turf Diario pick), as the public favored First Rimout (Remote, 56), who finished tenth, second to last.

After a perfect start, Gustavo Calvente urged the son of Key Deputy, who quickly took the lead and established a comfortable advantage over the rest of the field. As the race progressed, he solidified his position, and from the 200-meter mark to the finish line, he kicked away convincingly, crossing the line 3/4 of a length ahead of Tabacano (Fortify, 52 1/2), who made a late surge on the inside to secure second, capitalizing on the weight break.

Cerrito Piñón (Manipulator, 57 1/2) finished third, two lengths behind, with Gran Compañero (South Kissing, 57 1/2) just behind in fourth, all after posting a solid time of 55.56 seconds, with opening splits of 20.98 and 43.60 seconds.

Trained by Julio A. Campelli, Gonna Fly Now (originally named Gato Querido Key) earned his seventh victory in just 16 starts, marking his third win at the superior level, having previously triumphed in the Clásico Aristophanes and the Handicap Easing Along, pushing his earnings to 23,955,000 pesos.

Always highly regarded, Gonna Fly Now is out of For Me Cat (Easing Along), making him a full sibling to G1 winner Forza Key and stakes winner Fortino Key.

Now approaching his sixth year, the gelding seems to have earned a chance to test his luck at the graded level. With his current form, he is certainly poised to make a solid showing.