Juvenile Behavior: Beautiful Dancer Prevails

In the second-to-last juvenile filly race of the Keeneland spring meeting, Beautiful Dancer opened a clear advantage in deep stretch in her debut April 25 and held off a late charge from Maria Maria by a head (VIDEO) .

Roger Braugh Jr.'s Beautiful Dancer found room along the rail in the stretch with Jon Court aboard and had just enough to earn the winner's circle trip. By second-crop sire Notional  , Beautiful Dancer completed 4 1/2 furlongs in :52.76. She is trained by Chuck Peery.

Beautiful Dancer was bred in Kentucky by William Chaudoin and Fadi Hosn. She is the fourth winner out of the Private School mare Beauty School, who also has produced stakes winner Laysh Laysh Laysh, by Whywhywhy.

Curtis Green's Maria Maria, by Curlin  , was carried out in the stretch when Brooklynn's Dream was carried out. When she found her top gear again in her debut, she closed on the winner late but settled for second. Del Mar Holiday finished third, two lengths farther back.

The final juvenile race of the Keeneland meet will be contested April 26, which is the meet's closing day.