Santa Anita: Buena Vista next for A Jealous Woman

Benoit & Associates

A Jealous Woman will be pointed to the one-mile Buena Vista Stakes on Feb. 18.

ARCADIA, Calif. – A Jealous Woman is expected to start in the $150,000 Buena Vista Stakes over a mile on turf on Feb. 18 after her first win in an open stakes in Saturday’s $92,500 Megahertz Stakes at Santa Anita.

A Jealous Woman won her second stakes in her last three starts in the one-mile Megahertz. She won the restricted Swingtime Stakes here in October before finishing a game second to Rhythm of Light in the Grade2 Goldikova Stakes on Nov. 4.

The Grade 2 Buena Vista Stakes may also feature Rhythm of Light, along with Mizdirection, the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint here last November. Despite a strong field, A Jealous Woman has earned another start in a graded stakes.

“We’ll see in the next five days, but that’s what we’re pointing for,” said Eddie Meza, who assists his wife, trainer Frances Meza.

Known for racing on or near the lead in past races, A Jealous Woman was third early in the Megahertz, and closed well to outfinish 9-1 Byrony by a head.

“The way she won was impressive,” Eddie Meza said. “We know she has beautiful speed. We want to teach her to keep on going.”

A Jealous Woman ran a mile on turf in 1:33.09. She won despite missing a little more than a week of training in late December because of a bruised foot.

Meza said that A Jealous Woman was in a bright mood on Sunday, spending much of the morning staring out of a small window in her stall and watching the activity in the adjacent walking ring.

“She was nice and relaxed,” he said. “It’s an amazing feeling to see her win like that.”

Owned by Three Cent Stable, A Jealous Woman, a 7-year-old California-bred mare by Muqtarib, has won 9 of 19 starts and $443,856.