Keratea took a major leap forward and is now setting her sights on Look At To Me
The daughter of Hi Happy dominated the Francisco J. Beazley with broad authority, asserting herself as a potential rival to the Polla winner for the Gran Premio Selección
In a Clásico Francisco J. Beazley (G2-1800m, dirt) that gathered fillies with sparse experience and plenty to prove, Keratea seized the opportunity to take a major step forward. The Santa Inés homebred scored by 3 lengths at Hipódromo Palermo and left a convincing impression, confirming all the promise hinted at when breaking her maiden.
Free of complications and always traveling within striking distance, the daughter of the star stallion Hi Happy pressed the pace early, took control as soon as they entered the stretch, and began to pull away from there. Martín Valle merely had to hand-ride her to the wire, as her superiority was never in doubt.
Keratea was coming off her first victory over the same 1800-meter trip at Palermo and needed just one more start to transform into a graded stakes winner. Her progression was evident, though she will need to keep improving if she intends to pose a concrete threat to Look At To Me (Dabster), the undisputed leader of the division following her crushing performance in the Gran Premio Polla de Potrancas (G1).
Behind the winner finished Gunakali (King Guillermo), still a maiden, who delivered a valuable effort to land the runner-up spot. The stat is noteworthy: in both the Beazley and the Coronel Miguel F. Martínez (G3) run earlier, second-place honors went to a horse still seeking a maiden victory. The Great Funny (The Great Day) completed the trifecta, 1 1/2 lengths behind Gunakali.
Keratea's final time was 1m52s49/100, significantly slower than the 1m50s22/100 clocked by Hand in Hand (Il Campione) to win the Martínez over the same trip and track shortly before. The fillies went at a milder tempo, though the ease with which the winner sealed the race suggests she retains plenty of upside.
Conditioned by Enrique Martín Ferro, Keratea is the first foal out of Kilkea (Catcher In the Rye) and belongs to a family that has brought countless rewards to Santa Inés in recent years. Her second dam is the G2 winner Key Dance(Freud), part of a maternal line that produced key names such as champion Kiriaki (Catcher In the Rye), Kiriel(Orpen), and Kiran (Exchange Rate), alongside graded winner Vida Amorosa (Safety Check), Full Keid (Full Mast), and stakes winner Full Keynote (Full Mast).
The nursery also celebrated a double on the card, as they were also responsible for breeding Hand in Hand, the dominant winner of the Martínez. Two victories that leave the farm ideally positioned on the path to the premier events of the Buenos Aires spring.
Keratea did what she was asked to do and executed it impeccably. The level of competition will rise dramatically in the Gran Premio Selección (G1), where Look At To Me will loom as the horse to beat.
Nevertheless, the daughter of Hi Happy made it clear that she intends to claim her spot in the main event.
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