Making her 3-year-old debut, Stonestreet Stables LLC’s homebred WILLAKIA scored her first win at Keeneland this afternoon. It was her third career start; she ran twice at Aqueduct last Fall, the last time being on December 4.

Willakia raced mid-pack in the condensed field of 12 in a pedestrian pace down the backside before Luis Saez swung her wide out of the final turn to about the 8-path. Running down the leaders, she cleared the field and kicked away strongly to win by  1 3/4 lengths.

She’s a horse with the pedigree to do the job. By Tapit, she’s the third foal of graded stakes winner Hillaby (ON), by Distorted Humor. Hillaby’s dam Sealy Hill (by Point Given) was herself a graded stakes winner and earner of $1,747,081.

Congratulations to Stonestreet on this maiden-breaker by a very promising filly!