Dismissed at odds of 36-1 in the Buena Vista Stakes (USA-G2), Keeper ofthe Stars delivered a shocker on February 22 by running down previously undefeated Jolie Olimpica for the victory. A change of tactics seemed to be the key to victory. While Jolie Olimpica was overly keen in the early going. Keeper ofthe Stars was able to relax off the pace and delivered her closing punch when it counted to secure her second graded stakes win.
While she is now part of the Southern California scene, Keeper of the Stars has her roots in a prominent family of the Mid-Atlantic region. The daughter of Midnight Lute is descended from Right as Rain, whose sire Rasper II, an imported son of 1941 Derby Stakes winner Owen Tudor (by Hyperion), stood in New Jersey after a useful but uninspiring racing career.
While there was a time when some very good horses were being bred in New Jersey, that was well before Rasper II went to stud. Nonetheless, he proved a useful stallion, and his Maryland-bred daughter Right as Rain did her part to prove the worth of her sire's genes. A winner on the track, she produced four stakes winners and two stakes-placed runners. The best of the bunch was Gala Lil (by the hardy 1965 Pimlico Futurity winner Spring Double), who won eight stakes races on the Mid-Atlantic circuit and was Grade 2-placed in a racing career that saw her notch 25 wins from 65 starts.
Rain Shower, Right as Rain's 1980 daughter by Bold Forbes, was not as talented as Gala Lil but was the best of Right of Rain's daughters as a producer. After placing in minor stakes races at Fairmount Park and Balmoral, she produced two stakes winners as well as stakes-placed Nina Ashley (by Criminal Type), whose son Maerto won two Group 1 events in Peru.
Both of Rain Shower's stakes winners became stakes producers as well. Showering (by Miswaki) went to Canada, where she was a listed stakes winner before producing 2009 Breeders' Stakes winner Perfect Shower (by Perfect Soul). As for Skatingonthinice (a cleverly named daughter of Icecapade), she won two minor stakes races in the Midwest as a 4-year-old before producing Chief Seattle. A highly regarded son of Seattle Slew, Chief Seattle ran second in both the Champagne Stakes (USA-G1) and Breeders' Cup Juvenile (USA-G1) but fell prey to injury at 3 and did not live up to the hopes placed on him as a sire.
Greyciousness, Skatingonthinice's daughter by Miswaki, has had greater long-term importance. A winner of two of her 14 starts, she produced the multiple Grade 1-winning sprinter The Factor (by War Front), now a successful young stallion. Through her unraced daughter Sociable (by Run Away and Hide), she is also the second dam of Keeper ofthe Stars. Sociable. now a 10-year-old, produced the Verrazano colt Valenzano in 2018 and a colt by Classic Empire in 2019 before being bred to Mor Spirit. As for Greyciousness herself, she last produced a Super Saver colt in 2018 but has several other young daughters now in production.
Right as Rain's family is not one of the great matriarchies of the turf, but its members have done well with the opportunities that have been provided to them and have shown the ability to improve their production when mated to better stallions. After having produced The Factor and Keeper ofthe Stars, its prospects are better than ever. It remains to be seen whether this family can use its improved opportunities to build its status further or if its recent successes are only a passing shower in the overall climate of the breeding industry.
While she is now part of the Southern California scene, Keeper of the Stars has her roots in a prominent family of the Mid-Atlantic region. The daughter of Midnight Lute is descended from Right as Rain, whose sire Rasper II, an imported son of 1941 Derby Stakes winner Owen Tudor (by Hyperion), stood in New Jersey after a useful but uninspiring racing career.
While there was a time when some very good horses were being bred in New Jersey, that was well before Rasper II went to stud. Nonetheless, he proved a useful stallion, and his Maryland-bred daughter Right as Rain did her part to prove the worth of her sire's genes. A winner on the track, she produced four stakes winners and two stakes-placed runners. The best of the bunch was Gala Lil (by the hardy 1965 Pimlico Futurity winner Spring Double), who won eight stakes races on the Mid-Atlantic circuit and was Grade 2-placed in a racing career that saw her notch 25 wins from 65 starts.
Rain Shower, Right as Rain's 1980 daughter by Bold Forbes, was not as talented as Gala Lil but was the best of Right of Rain's daughters as a producer. After placing in minor stakes races at Fairmount Park and Balmoral, she produced two stakes winners as well as stakes-placed Nina Ashley (by Criminal Type), whose son Maerto won two Group 1 events in Peru.
Both of Rain Shower's stakes winners became stakes producers as well. Showering (by Miswaki) went to Canada, where she was a listed stakes winner before producing 2009 Breeders' Stakes winner Perfect Shower (by Perfect Soul). As for Skatingonthinice (a cleverly named daughter of Icecapade), she won two minor stakes races in the Midwest as a 4-year-old before producing Chief Seattle. A highly regarded son of Seattle Slew, Chief Seattle ran second in both the Champagne Stakes (USA-G1) and Breeders' Cup Juvenile (USA-G1) but fell prey to injury at 3 and did not live up to the hopes placed on him as a sire.
Greyciousness, Skatingonthinice's daughter by Miswaki, has had greater long-term importance. A winner of two of her 14 starts, she produced the multiple Grade 1-winning sprinter The Factor (by War Front), now a successful young stallion. Through her unraced daughter Sociable (by Run Away and Hide), she is also the second dam of Keeper ofthe Stars. Sociable. now a 10-year-old, produced the Verrazano colt Valenzano in 2018 and a colt by Classic Empire in 2019 before being bred to Mor Spirit. As for Greyciousness herself, she last produced a Super Saver colt in 2018 but has several other young daughters now in production.
Right as Rain's family is not one of the great matriarchies of the turf, but its members have done well with the opportunities that have been provided to them and have shown the ability to improve their production when mated to better stallions. After having produced The Factor and Keeper ofthe Stars, its prospects are better than ever. It remains to be seen whether this family can use its improved opportunities to build its status further or if its recent successes are only a passing shower in the overall climate of the breeding industry.
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