Toinette fresh for Wilshire

Can a comeback filly starting for the first time in six months defeat a racing-fit division leader coming off back-to-back turf stakes victories, including a Grade 1?

She can if her name is Toinette, who launches her 2020 campaign Saturday at Santa Anita as the likely favorite in the Grade 3 Wilshire Stakes at a mile on turf. Yet compared to her main rival, Toinette has some catching up to do.

Keeper Ofthe Stars, having learned to relax and finish, emerged as leader of the female turf division in California with a two-race streak. But in the Grade 3 on Saturday, Keeper Ofthe Stars will face a better rival than any she defeated last month in the Grade 1 Gamely.

Toinette is unbeaten in four starts at Santa Anita, 7 for 11 overall, and a two-time graded winner. If she has a flaw, it is her 0-for-2 record in Grade 1 races, including a fourth-place finish in the Matriarch at Del Mar way back in December. That was Toinette’s last start.

“She ran all right in the Matriarch, but she wasn’t at her best,” trainer Neil Drysdale said. “We gave her time off, and she’s come back very well.”

Drysdale has good reason to be optimistic. Toinette runs well fresh, she has defeated top company, and has tactical speed to be forwardly placed in a field that is somewhat light on pace. Furthermore, Drysdale believes Toinette looks better physically at age 5 than she did in the last couple years.

“She was quite light last year, and the year before. She’s maybe a bit stronger, a bit thicker,” he said. “She’s on target.”

Toinette is missing just one key element from her résumé.

“She’s not yet won a Group 1, and I believe she’s of that quality,” Drysdale said. “If she runs well in the Wilshire, we’ll probably run her back in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley. She’s won at Keeneland, so we know she likes it.”

The Jenny Wiley is July 11 at Keeneland.

Drysdale won the 2019 Wilshire with Simply Breathless, who is entered in the Wilshire but is likely to be retired after finishing seventh in the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile last Sunday at Golden Gate Fields.

Flavien Prat rides Toinette, whose main rival is the vastly improved Keeper Ofthe Stars. Since moving to Northern California with trainer Jonathan

Wong last year, Keeper Ofthe Stars has steadily moved up. The Gamely was the first Grade 1 for the filly, and for Wong.

Keeper Ofthe Stars remained at Santa Anita with trainer Kristin Mulhall afterward. Wong said she “really likes the Santa Anita turf, and she’s doing really good right now.”

“We wanted to get her one more race on that turf,” he said.

The summer campaign for Keeper Ofthe Stars will aim toward a pair of Grade 2s at Del Mar – the Yellow Ribbon on Aug. 8 and John Mabee on Sept. 5. Abel Cedillo rides Keeper Ofthe Stars.

The others in the Wilshire are Cordiality, Gypsy Spirit, Red Lark, and Querelle. The Wilshire is race 2 on a 12-race Saturday card. First post is early at 12:30 p.m.