Park Avenue Chasing Third Straight Win In La Canada

In search of her third consecutive win in what will be her first stakes assignment, John Sadler's Park Avenue rates a big look in Saturday's Grade 3, $200,000 La Canada Stakes as six older fillies and mares go a mile and one sixteenth.

Fresh off a game victory in the G3 Bayakoa Stakes at Los Alamitos, Bob Baffert's As Time Goes By, the leading money earner in the field, looms as the probable post time favorite.

A disappointing third in the Bayakoa Dec. 5, Richard Mandella's Moonlight d'Oro will try to regain the form that saw her win the G3 Las Virgenes Stakes here three starts back on Feb. 6.

Owned by Hronis Racing, LLC, Park Avenue pressed the pace and went on to an impressive five length maiden win going one mile two starts back on Oct. 29 and she followed that up with another five-length score going a flat mile in a first condition allowance Dec. 12 at Los Alamitos when ridden for the first time by Juan Hernandez, who sticks with her on Saturday.

A $450,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase in 2019, Park Avenue is a 4-year-old filly by Quality Road out of the Indian Charlie mare Remarkable. With an overall mark of 6-2-2-1, she has earnings of $104,700.

The likely post time favorite, multiple graded stakes winning As Time Goes By enters the La Canada fresh off an impressive 1 ¼ length win as the even money favorite in the Bayakoa going 1 1/6 miles. A winner of two G2 stakes here earlier this year, the Santa Maria on May 22 and the Santa Margarita on April 24, As Time Goes By has three wins and as many second from six Santa Anita starts.

Trained by Bob Baffert and owned by Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor and Derrick Smith, this 5-year-old daughter of American Pharoah is 12-5-3-1 with earnings of $535,600 and will be ridden back by Flavien Prat.

Second two starts back after stumbling at the break of an ungraded one mile stakes at Del Mar Nov. 3, Moonlight d'Oro fetched $620,000 out of the same Keeneland sale Park Avenue graduated from. With her Las Virgenes victory, she's 6-2-2-2 overall with earnings of $195,790 and will be ridden for the first time by Mike Smith.

THE GRADE 3 LA CANADA STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 9 of 10 Approximate post time 4:30 p.m. PT

  1. Moonlight d'Oro—Mike Smith—122
  2. Cowboys Daughter—Kyle Frey—120
  3. Fi Fi Pharoah—Umberto Rispoli—120
  4. Velvet Slippers—John Velazquez—120
  5. Park Avenue—Juan Hernandez—120
  6. As Time Goes By—Flavien Prat–122

First post time for a 10-race card that will include four graded stakes on Saturday is at 12 noon. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

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As Time Goes By Finds Winning Form Again In Bayakoa

The last time As Time Goes By saw the inside of the winner's circle was after her win in the Grade 2 Santa Maria May 22 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. In the Bayakoa, the daughter of American Pharoah found her winning form again, taking the G3 stakes after shaking off a challenge from Warren's Showtime in the Los Alamitos stretch.

With the scratch of Lisette, the Bayakoa field was down to six, with As Time Goes By facing Warren's Showtime, second in her last start in the Betty Grable, and Moonlight d'Oro, a last-out second to Livingmybestlife in the Seashell at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif. After an even break, Harvest Moon showed her head in front first, with As Time Goes By stalking on the rail and Bye Bye Bertie on the outside in third. They stayed one-two-three around the first turn and into the backstretch, with Stellar Sound boldly moving to the lead in the last part of the backstretch. As Time Goes By went with her, these two entering the far turn with As Time Goes By on the lead.

Into the stretch at the Cypress, Calif., track, As Time Goes By was able to shake off Stellar Sound, who gave way to a surging Warren's Showtime on the outside. As Time Goes By did not let her challenger by, holding off Warren's Showtime to win by 1 1/4 lengths. Moonlight d'Oro was third and Stellar Sound fourth.

The final time for the 1 1/16 miles was 1:42.97. Find this race's chart here.

As Time Goes By paid $4.20, $3.00, and $2.10. Warren's Showtime paid $4.40 and $2.80. Moonlight d'Oro paid $2.40.

“She was going well the entire way. I actually think (Warren's Showtime) got about a neck ahead of me in midstretch, but she regrouped and really dug in. She was very game,'' jockey Flavien Prat said after the Bayakoa.

“I love this filly. I love (wife) Jill No. 1 and this filly No. 2. My two favorite girls. They went so fast early, I was afraid of the runner-up (Warren's Showtime) who is a really good horse, and I was hoping (As Time Goes By) would have something left. I've always been high on her. I'm hoping she runs as a 5-year-old because I'd really like to win a Grade 1 with her and I know she can. (Owners Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith) said if she's doing well, they will keep her in training,'' trainer Bob Baffert said after the race.

Bred in Kentucky by Orpendale and Chelston, As Time Goes By is out of the Dehere mare Take Charge Lady, a multiple G1 stakes winner and dam of 2013 Travers Stakes winner Will Take Charge. The 4-year-old filly is owned by Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith. With her win in the G3 Bayakoa, As Time Goes By has four wins in nine starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of five wins in 12 starts and career earnings of $535,600.

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As Time Goes By Will Face Six Others In Sunday’s Bayakoa

Two-time Grade 2 winner As Time Goes By will have six rivals in her return to Los Alamitos in the $100,000-guaranteed Bayakoa Stakes Sunday.

A Grade 3 for fillies and mares (3-year-olds & up) at 1 1/16 miles, the Bayakoa will be run for the fifth time at Los Alamitos.

Post time Sunday is 12:30 p.m. The Bayakoa is the last of nine races and has an approximate post time of 4:28 p.m.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert for Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, As Time Goes By will get some class relief after finishing eighth of 11 in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff Nov. 6 at Del Mar.

A 4-year-old American Pharoah filly out of the Dehere mare Take Charge Lady, As Time Goes By earned her biggest victories in a span of four weeks at Santa Anita earlier this year. She captured the Santa Margarita April 24 and the Santa Maria May 23.

The dark bay filly broke her maiden by four lengths in her lone start at Los Alamitos, defeating six opponents at six furlongs last Dec. 13. She's 4-for-11 with earnings of $475,600.

Baffert will be seeking his second Bayakoa win locally as he took the inaugural running with Tiz Midnight in 2014.

Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella, who won the 2017 Bayakoa with Majestic Heat, will be represented Sunday by Moonlight d'Oro.

Owned by MyRachorse and Spendthrift Farm LLC, the 3-year-old Medaglia d'Oro filly was runner-up as the odds-on choice in a restricted stakes at Del Mar Nov. 3 after nine months on the sidelines.

Out of the Bernardini mare Venetian Sonata, Moonlight d'Oro has won twice in five starts and banked $183,790. Her biggest win came in the Grade 3 Las Virgenes Feb. 6.

Benjamin and Sally Warren's homebred Warren's Showtime will make her Los Alamitos debut for trainer Craig Lewis.

The California bred daughter of Clubhouse Ride and the Affirmative mare Warren's Veneda has been effective on turf and dirt, winning eight of 23. The 4-year-old has earned $794,431.

Harvest Moon will make her first start for Tabor and breeder Alice Bamford and trainer Simon Callaghan since finishing distant third behind As Time Goes By in the Santa Margarita.

A daughter of Uncle Mo and the Shamardal mare Qaraba, the 4-year-old has four wins in eight attempts and has banked $382,720. She graduated at Los Alamitos in her second career start July 3, 2020.

Third as the favorite in the 2020 Bayakoa won by Proud Emma, Stellar Sound will be making her first start since finishing sixth of eight in the Grade 2 Zenyatta Oct. 3.

Owned by breeder Don Alberto Stable and trained by Michael McCarthy, the 4-year-old gray daughter of Tapit and the Unbridled's Song mare Siren Serenade has won three of nine and earned $194,200. A win Sunday would be her first in a graded event.

Trainer Paddy Gallagher will send out Lisette for breeders Aaron and Harrison Sones. The 3-year-old Uncle Mo filly out of the Unbridled mare Cordoba has one win in five starts and earnings of $55,820. She has been idle since finishing a well-beaten fourth in the Grade 3 Torrey Pines Stakes Aug. 21.

A decisive winner against optional claimers Oct. 11 in her first for trainer Leonard Powell after being claimed for $40,000 seven weeks earlier, Bye Bye Bertie will make her Los Alamitos and graded stakes debut for a partnership that includes Gatto Racing LLC, All Schlaich Stables LLC, James Cahill, Brian Kahn, Mathilde Powell and Arthur Spencer.

The 5-year-old daughter of Affirmative and the Ready's Image mare Dream of Bertie has won seven of 18 and banked $230,888.

From inside out, the field for the Bayakoa Stakes: As Time Goes By, Flavien Prat rides, 124 pounds; Harvest Moon, Mike Smith, 124; Bye Bye Bertie, Abel Cedillo, 119; Warren's Showtime, Juan Hernandez, 121; Lisette, Kyle Frey, 116; Stellar Sound, Kent Desormeaux, 119 and Moonlight d'Oro, Drayden Van Dyke, 118.

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Moonlight D’Oro Headlines Seashell Stakes Wednesday At Del Mar

Entries were taken Saturday for Wednesday's opening day card at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif., and the featured $100,000 Seashell Stakes drew a field of seven fillies and mares for a one-mile spin on the main oval.

The eight-race card will kick off the seaside track's eighth fall race meeting, known officially as the Bing Crosby Season in honor of the track's founder. First post will be 12:30 p.m., as will be the case for the majority of the 13-day session.

The meet additionally will host the 38th edition of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, presented on Friday and Saturday of opening week, November 5 and 6. Fourteen championship races will be offered with more than $31 million in purses and awards up for grabs along with the prestige and championship honors Breeders' Cup winners earn.

Del Mar will race Wednesday and Thursday of the upcoming week; host the two-day Breeders' Cup extravaganza, then come back with a Sunday card. The following two weeks, it will race Friday through Sunday, and then for its final week, it will race four days starting with an early card on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 25.

Wednesday's Seashell appears to have a solid favorite in comebacking Moonlight d'Oro, who'll be under silks for the first time since a smart victory in Santa Anita's Grade 3 Las Virgenes Stakes on February 6. The well-bred 3-yer-old daughter of Medaglia d'Oro out of a Bernardini mare is owned by MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm and her Hall of Fame trainer, Richard Mandella, will give a leg up to Southern California riding kingpin Flavien Prat. The bay fits nicely under the Seashell conditions which require participants to be non-winners of a sweepstakes of $60,000 to the winner since April 1.

Here's the full lineup for the test in post-position order with riders and weights: Michael Rosemayer's Clockstrikestwelve (Jose Ortiz), 121; Moonlight D'Oro, 118; Mathiesen Racing, Feghali or Mathiesen, et al's Paige Anne (Kyle Frey), 121; Sones or Sones' Lisette (Umberto Rispoli), 118; Tarabilia Farms' Miss Fia (Jessica Pyfer), 121; and Hronis Racing's Livingmybestlife (Juan Hernandez), 118.

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