as time goes by | Horse Racing Free Tips

It’s Margarita Time

Michael Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier and Derrick Smith's As Time Goes By (American Pharoah) has been progressing steadily since last fall and will try to collect her first black-type badge in Saturday's GII Santa Margarita S. at Santa Anita.

Third in her career debut sprinting at Del Mar last August, the daughter of MGISW Take Charge Lady (Dehere) returned to finish second to stablemate Himiko (American Pharoah) after setting the pace in the early going at Santa Anita in October. A four-length winner going six panels at Los Alamitos Dec. 13, the half-sister to 3-year-old champion colt Will Take Charge (Unbridled's Song) and GISW Take Charge Indy (A.P. Indy) galloped home an eye-catching nine-length winner stretching to a mile in a Santa Anita allowance Jan. 17. Stepping up for the Mar. 13 GI Beholder Mile, the Bob Baffert trainee found only champion Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) too good, finishing second by 2 3/4 lengths. Mike Smith, aboard for her latest trip to post, retains the call.

Alice Bamford and Michael Tabor's Harvest Moon (Uncle Mo) reeled off four consecutive wins in 2020, including Del Mar's GIII Torrey Pines S. at a mile and the 8 1/2-furlong GII Zenyatta S. at Santa Anita. Fourth after disputing the early pace in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff over nine furlongs at Keeneland, she resurfaced with a fourth, beaten seven lengths, in the aforementioned Beholder Mile. Regular rider Flavien Prat returns to ride the Simon Callaghan trainee Saturday.

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Second To Swiss Skydiver Last Out, As Time Goes By Headlines Five-Horse Field In Santa Margarita

Fresh off of a second place finish to the mighty Swiss Skydiver, As Time Goes By looms the horse to beat going a mile and one eighth in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Santa Margarita Stakes at Santa Anita. First run in 1935, the prestigious Santa Margarita, which was not offered last year due to a cessation of racing caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, has attracted a field of five older fillies and mares for what will be its 83rd running.

Trained by Bob Baffert, As Time Goes By was beaten 2 ¾ lengths by Swiss Skydiver, last year's Eclipse Champion Dirt Female, in the Grade 1 Beholder Mile in a very impressive effort. A nine-length first condition allowance winner going one mile two starts back on Jan. 17, As Time Goes By finished strongly in the Beholder Mile at odds of 9-5 and should be ready for her first test at a mile and one eighth.

Owned by Michael Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier and Derrick Smith, As Time Goes By, a 4-year-old daughter of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah out of the multiple Grade 1 stakes winning Dehere mare Take Charge Lady, is 5-2-2-1 and is seeking her first stakes victory.

A two-time graded stakes winner, Simon Callaghan's Harvest Moon pressed the early pace and tired late to finish fourth, beaten seven lengths by Swiss Skydiver in the Beholder Mile and will be ridden for the seventh consecutive time by leading man Flavien Prat.

A close fourth two starts back to super mare Monomoy Girl in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff Nov. 7 at Keeneland, Harvest Moon, a 4-year-old filly by Uncle Mo out of the Shamardal mare Qaraaba, was bred by Alice Bamford and is owned by Bamford and Michael Tabor. With four wins from seven starts, Harvest Moon will try a mile and one eighth for the second time.

THE GRADE II SANTA MARGARITA STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 8 of 11 Approximate post time 4:30 p.m. PT

Pharoah's Heart—Umberto Rispoli—120
As Time Goes By—Mike Smith—120
This Tea—Kent Desormeaux–120
Harvest Moon—Flavien Prat—122
Clockstrikestwelve—Abel Cedillo–120

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Champion Swiss Skydiver Makes Triumphant Return In Beholder Mile

Mission accomplished. Idle since a disappointing run in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff at Keeneland Nov. 7, trainer Ken McPeek's reigning Eclipse Champion Filly Swiss Skydiver saved ground early and went on to register a powerful 2 ¾-length victory in Saturday's G1, $300,000 Beholder Mile at Santa Anita. Ridden by Robby Albarado, the 4-year-old filly by Daredevil got the distance in 1:36.18 as she cruised to the wire with her ears pricked.

With Bob Baffert's Golden Principal hustled to the lead from her number two post position, Swiss Skydiver, breaking from the rail, was attentive to the pace while fourth, just 2 ½ length off the lead around the clubhouse turn. Third at the rail, two lengths off of Golden Principal midway around the turn, Swiss Skydiver angled three-wide turning for home and surged to the front approaching the furlong pole as she went on to a very impressive win.

“Being on the inside, circumstances dictate that you need to get away clean to get some kind of a forward position,” said Albarado, who has now ridden her in her last three races, including a sensational neck victory over eventual Horse of the Year Authentic in the G1 Preakness Stakes Oct. 3. “I knew we had speed in the race but if I could get her in position, get her to clip off twelves every eighth (of a mile), she comes home pretty fast.

“Pretty much up the backside, every point I felt like she was right there with me the whole way. She was taking deep breaths around there. When I finally gave her some room there she took off. It was all her, I was just a passenger. … I look forward for the rest of the year with her.”

A winner of last year's G2 Santa Anita Oaks in June, Swiss Skydiver went on to win a pair of G1 races and a total of total of five graded stakes on the year. Off at 7-5 in a field of seven older fillies and mares on Saturday, she paid $4.80, $2.60 and $2.20.

“Yes, she met expectations, but you never know,” said McPeek, who has been at Santa Anita since Swiss Skydiver shipped in from her Gulfstream Park base on Tuesday. “The distance for me was a little bit of a worry because of the run to the first turn. But Robby does know her so well, to get her in 12s, just get her into a nice rhythm and let her make her run. You can't force anything with her, and if you go too fast early, she will wilt a little bit.

“She cruises through everything, even when she gallops. The feed tub's the biggest deal with her. I've never had a horse, colt or filly, eat like she does. It just makes my job so much easier.”

When asked where Swiss Skydiver, who ran at nine different tracks in 10 races last year, might make her next start, McPeek responded: “Maybe the Apple Blossom (G1 at Oaklawn Park April 17), maybe the La Troienne (G1 at Churchill Downs April 30), one of those two. … She's just really good, maybe we'll go hunt Monomoy Girl (2020 Eclipse Champion Older Dirt Female) now, we'll see.”

Purchased for $35,000 as a Keeneland September Yearling and owned by Peter J. Callahan, Swiss Skydiver, who is out of the More Than Ready mare Expo Gold, now has three G1 wins, and an overall mark of 13-7-3-1. With the Beholder winner's share of $180,000, she increased her earnings to $2,025,480.

Ridden by Mike Smith, As Time Goes By rallied five-wide turning for home and bested her stablemate Golden Principal by 1 ¾ lengths while never threatening the winner. The second choice in the wagering at 9-5, As Time Goes By paid $3.40 and $2.80.

Ridden by Juan Hernandez, Golden Principal did the heavy lifting early and tired late, but finished 2 ½ lengths clear of Harvest Moon. Off at 7-1, Golden Principal paid $3.40 to show.

Fractions on the race were 23.14, 46.80, 1:11.19 and 1:23.54.

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Swiss Skydiver Returns to Arcadia for Beholder Mile

Champion Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) crushed her competition on her last trip to the west coast for the GII Santa Anita Oaks last spring and looks to repeat that performance Saturday when she returns to Santa Anita for the GI Beholder Mile. Capturing the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks and GIII Fantasy S. prior to the Santa Anita Oaks last term, the chestnut took on males next out in the GII Toyota Blue Grass S. July 11, finishing a respectable second to Art Collector (Bernardini). Returning to winning ways next out in Saratoga's 10-panel GI Alabama S. Aug. 15, the $35,000 KEESEP buy checked in second to GII Azeri S.-bound Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil) in the GI Kentucky Oaks Sept. 4.

Trainer Ken McPeek felt confident enough in his charge to try her against males again in the GI Preakness S. Oct. 3 and she delivered with a gritty defeat of GI Kentucky Derby hero and eventual Horse of the Year Authentic (Into Mischief). Swiss Skydiver completed 2020 with a disappointing and surprising seventh behind two-time champion Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff at Keeneland Nov. 7, but had already done more than enough to secure the Eclipse for top 3-year-old filly. She has been working well leading up to this seasonal bow, most recently breezing a best-of-39 five panels in :58 flat at Gulfstream Mar. 6.

Her biggest competition is likely to come from MGSW Harvest Moon (Uncle Mo). Graduating at second asking when switched to the dirt in July, she scored a decisive optional claimer victory next out at Del Mar three weeks later and captured the GIII Torrey Pines S. there in August. Winning the GII Zenyatta S. at Santa Anita Sept. 27, the bay checked in fourth last out in the Distaff.

Bob Baffert saddles two in this event in As Time Goes By (American Pharoah) and Golden Principal (Constitution). Out of MGISW and blue hen Take Charge Lady (Dehere), As Time Goes By graduated at third asking going six furlongs at Los Alamitos Dec. 13 and romped by nine lengths next out over track and trip Jan. 17. Capturing a Del Mar optional claimer at this distance Nov. 27, Golden Principal completed the exacta in both the Dec. 26 GI La Brea S. and the Feb. 133 GII Santa Monica S.

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