Keeper Of the Stars likely to return in Royal Heroine

ARCADIA, Calif. – A little luck was all Keeper Ofthe Stars needed for a career-defining win in the Grade 2 Buena Vista Stakes at Santa Anita on Saturday.

In her last three starts, trainer Jonathan Wong watched in frustration as Keeper Ofthe Stars raced on the rail, between rivals at pivotal points in a race, and even on the lead, never finishing better than second.

With a clear trip and a wide rally, Keeper Ofthe Stars won the $202,000 Buena Vista Stakes for the most prestigious and richest win of her 14-race career.

The win is likely to lead to a start in the Grade 2 Royal Heroine Stakes at a mile on turf on April 4, Wong said.

“She’s always shown potential,” Wong said. “She’s been a bad luck horse. You can’t get her stopped.”

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Keeper Ofthe Stars won the Grade 3 Autumn Miss Stakes at a mile on turf for 3-year-old fillies last October for her first stakes win.

Jockey Abel Cedillo rode Keeper Ofthe Stars in the Autumn Miss and her three recent losses – a sixth as the 6-5 favorite in the Grade 3 Red Carpet Handicap at Del Mar in November, a second as the 6-5 favorite in the Lady of Shamrock Stakes here in December, and a sixth at 9-2 in the Grade 3 Megahertz Stakes on Jan. 20.

Cedillo had worked Keeper Ofthe Stars and thought she was better when allowed to come from off the pace. He urged Wong to let him ride the filly in that fashion on Saturday.

Keeper Ofthe Stars closed from about six lengths off the pace to win the Buena Vista in a 36-1 upset.

Owned by Tommy Town Thoroughbreds, Keeper Ofthe Stars has won 6 of 14 starts and earned $321,931.

The win was Wong’s first in a Grade 2. The 31-year-old trainer has 10 horses at Santa Anita and 60 based in Northern California. Keeper Ofthe Stars was his first graded stakes winner in the Autumn Miss.