Keri Belle Upsets Stormy Lucy in Megahertz
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Photo: Benoit Photography
Keri Belle wins the Megahertz Stakes.
Mr. and Mrs. Jerome Moss' homebred Keri Belle was all out to hold off strong closing bids from Stormy Lucy and Theatre Star to capture the $100,000 Megahertz Stakes (gr. IIIT) Jan. 18 at Santa Anita Park.
Guided from off the pace by Alex Solis, Keri Belle grabbed the command in the stretch from pacesetter Glory and Chaulk O Lattey, who pressed that rival from the start, and gamely dug in to repel 2015 Matriarch (gr. IT) winner Stormy Lucy by a nose, with Theatre Star a close third.
Keri Belle, a 6-year-old Empire Maker mare, completed the one mile turf race for fillies and mares in 1:36.30 on a good course, adding a first stakes win to her record. She has four wins from 12 career starts for trainer John Shirreffs.
"Coming out of the gate I took hold," Solis said. "They went fast so it pushed her back even more but it worked out good because she was relaxed."
A Kentucky-bred out of two-time Senator Ken Maddy (gr. IIIT) winner Belleski, by Polish Numbers, Keri Belle paid $27.80, $12.40, and $8.40. Stormy Lucy returned $3.80 and $3.20 and Theatre Star paid $5.20 to show.