ARCADIA, Calif. (AP) Paulina's Love held off Stormy Lucy to win the $200,000 Buena Vista Stakes for older fillies and mares by a neck Saturday at Santa Anita.
Ridden by Hall of Famer Gary Stevens, Paulina's Love ran a mile on turf in 1:36.06 and paid $9.60, $4.80 and $3.80. She earned her first stakes victory.
Stormy Lucy returned $4.60 and $3.20 as the 7-2 second choice. Kerri Belle rallied three-wide turning for home and finished another 1 3/4 lengths back in third. She paid $5 to show
Trained by Richard Baltas, Paulina's Love was second approaching the far turn before taking command five-sixteenths of a mile from the finish.
''I rode her with a lot of confidence, like she was the favorite,'' said Stevens, who is 3 for 5 on the filly. ''She minds, she lets me do what I want, whatever the pace scenario is. When she's done, I'd like to take her home and put her in my backyard.''
The victory, worth $120,000, increased Paulina's Love's career earnings to $304,990, with four wins in 13 starts.
