Robate un Beso beat everything—even adversity
Robate un Beso was on the verge of being scratched due to a physical issue, but she made it to the starting gate in time to score by a neck over Look At To Me in a tremendous duel and capture the Gran Premio Selección (G1). The heavy track once again proved to be her ally, and she now sets her sights on the Copa de Plata
By Diego H. Mitagstein
Until the very last moment, Robate un Beso's participation in the Gran Premio Selección (G1) remained in doubt. A physical issue in one of her hoofs forced Alfredo Gaitán Dassié's entire team into intensive care, striving to get the filly fit enough to start in the most important race of her life. It was a period marked by anxiety, relentless effort, and uncertainty. Ultimately, she made the gate. And she did not merely compete: she won. In true champion fashion, putting heart ahead of any obstacle.
This Saturday’s Selección at the Hipódromo de Palermo yielded an extraordinary winner and a spectacle worthy of the occasion. Robate un Beso (Uncle Chuck) edged out Look At To Me (Dabster) by a neck following a memorable battle—the kind that justifies the expectations built over an entire season. And with her maiden G1 triumph, she secured the title of best filly of her generation.
This marked the third meeting between the two, the rubber match that would settle the score. In the Clásico General Luis María Campos (G2) over a heavy track, Robate un Beso had proven superior by half a length. Later, in the Polla de Potrancas (G1), Look At To Me exacted decisive revenge, drawing off by 4 lengths and leaving the impression of having established a gap difficult to bridge.
Yet races are not won on past form—much less when mud alters conditions and introduces new variables. Robate un Beso once again found a surface tailored to her strengths and added a level of determination that ultimately proved decisive.
Adrián Giannetti, enjoying a brilliant season, operated under precise instructions: not to let Look At To Me establish an uncontested lead. He executed the plan flawlessly. While the favorite sat second behind Tantas Veces (Cosmic Trigger), her rival stalked closely, granting no leeway.
When Look At To Me moved for the lead along the final stretch of the backstretch, heading into the far turn, Giannetticalled upon Robate un Beso and ranged alongside her. From that moment, the Selección turned into a thrilling duel that lasted throughout the entire homestretch.
Neither yielded an inch. The favorite defended her position with tremendous courage, while Robate un Beso pressed relentless pressure until securing, in the final strides, the neck victory that earned her a divisional championship.
There were moments of anxiety as well. The winner displayed a tendency to bear inward, forcing Giannetti to exert maximum effort to keep her straight. Slight contact occurred during the duel, though without altering the outcome. On such a muddy track, maintaining balance and a straight line proved doubly demanding.
The Great Fanny (The Great Day) completed the trifecta 3 lengths behind, turning in a highly creditable performance, albeit effectively in a separate contest behind the main dueling pair. The time of 2:06.33 for the 2000 meters speaks volumes about the grueling nature of the surface.
For Alfredo Gaitán Dassié, the victory carried special meaning. The trainer of the Bonne Chance Farm representative added the Selección to his remarkable collection of major victories for the first time, checking off one of the few flagship races that had eluded his career.
It was also a monumental milestone for Uncle Chuck, who scored his first G1 winner as a sire. The coincidence was striking: both group races on the card were captured by offspring of first-crop stallions securing their maiden graded wins, both sons of the formidable Uncle Mo. One was Uncle Chuck, and the other, Pneumatic.
Bred by Stud Río Dois Irmãos, Robate un Beso also carries a rich genetic heritage that links her to some of the most celebrated chapters in Argentine breeding.
Her dam, Heart and Pray, is a daughter of champion Ghostzapper and out of Potrinner (Potrillazo), winner of the 1000 Guineas (G1) in 1996. That remarkable racehorse was one of five G1 winners produced by Chaldee (Banner Sport), alongside her full sisters Potrizaris, Potrichal, and Potridee, and her maternal half-brother Potro Rex(Potrillón), not to mention the outstanding stayer Sun Banner (Sundae).
It is a bloodline that seems bottomless. With deep roots at Ojo de Agua, it found continuity in the United States before returning to the country to continue producing top-class runners. Robate un Beso represents another brilliant installment in a dynasty that has delivered elite racehorses for decades.
Giannetti was overwhelmed with emotion, and with good reason: "I was terrified because of everything she had gone through during the week. She did things before the start that she had never done before, which worried me even more. We skipped the parade, she didn't want to enter the gate... But the team's hard work found its reward," he noted.
Her immediate future could see her return to the turf, the surface on which she debuted with a dominant 11-length victory. The Copa de Plata (G1) in December now stands out as an objective both alluring and demanding, offering a chance to confirm her class away from the dirt.
Yet there will be time to plan ahead. Saturday's achievement deserves to be savored. Robate un Beso did not merely win the Selección and settle a fierce rivalry in her favor. She overcame a physical condition that nearly ruled her out, executed a tactical plan to perfection, and summoned the strength to outduel a formidable opponent.
From nearly being scratched to becoming the undisputed queen of her division. Few victories encompass such emotion, quiet work behind the scenes, and ultimate reward. The Selección crowned a champion in every sense of the word. Her name is Robate un Beso.
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