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As Time Goes By Soars in Santa Margarita

Sent off the prohibitive 3-5 favorite against a seemingly overmatched field in Saturday's GII Santa Margarita S. at Santa Anita, Michael Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier and Derrick Smith's As Time Goes By (American Pharoah) was taken straight to the front by Hall of Famer Mike Smith and reeled off opening fractions of :23.17 and :46.98 as Harvest Moon (Uncle Mo) offered some mild pressure. Well in hand and not doing more than she had to down the backside, the half-sister to 3-year-old champion Will Take Charge was finally given her cue by Smith and picked it up a notch through three-quarters in 1:11.36. Easily drawing clear of her stablemate passing the quarter pole, she powered on all boosters late en route to an eye-catching eight-length victory over 31-1 longshot This Tea (Curlin). Harvest Moon rounded out the trifecta.
“I was shocked [to be on the lead), I actually thought [Pharoah's Heart] and Harvest Moon would show a little more speed,” said Smith, who won last year's Santa Margarita with Paradise Woods and who has won the race a total of five times. “But today, she actually jumped really quick out of there, and she fell right into stride so nice and I just stayed out of her way.”
Smith continued, “She warmed up really brilliant, acted really good in the gate, stood really well. That was really impressive today, she did that well, well in-hand and galloped out nice.”
As Time Goes By needed three starts to get off the duck, but did it in style when scoring by four lengths at Los Alamitos in December. Back in the winner's circle following a flashy nine length win in a Santa Anita allowance Jan. 17, she took some support at 9-5 in the Mar. 13 GI Beholder Mile S. but found champion sophomore filly Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) 2 3/4 lengths too good that day.
Added winning trainer Bob Baffert, “I was debating on running her next week in Kentucky or here, but since I want to develop her slowly and the Breeders' Cup [at Del Mar] is the main goal, we chose to stay [home].”
Baffert also trained As Time Goes By's Triple Crown winning sire, American Pharoah, also conditioned by Baffert.
“She's so sweet like her sire,” he said. “She's the sweetest thing in the barn. I have a soft spot for her, because I think of American Pharoah every time I walk by her stall.”

Pedigree Notes:
As Time Goes By is the last reported foal out of 2013 Broodmare of the Year Take Charge Lady, who has turned just about everything she's touched to gold. Originally a $175,000 yearling at Fasig-Tipton's Kentucky summer sale, Take Charge Lady earned nearly $2.5 million and won three Grade I events. She was sold at the 2004 Keeneland November sale for $4.2 million carrying her first foal, Charming (Seeking the Gold), who would go on to sell as a $3.2-million Keeneland yearling. Charming would become the dam of 2014 champion 2-year-old filly Take Charge Brandi (Giant's Causeway) and additional GISW Omaha Beach (War Front). Later foals of Take Charge Lady would include 2013 champion 3-year-old colt Will Take Charge (Unbridled's Song) and 2012 GI Florida Derby winner Take Charge Indy (A.P. Indy), now both Kentucky-based sires.
Like both Charming and Will Take Charge, As Time Goes By is inbred top and bottom to Mr. Prospector, although farther back than either of those half-siblings. As Time Goes By is the 10th graded winner and 15th black-type winner for her Mr. Prospector-line sire, 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. The former Horse of the Year is the leading third-crop sire in North America by earnings, stakes winners, and graded winners. As Time Goes By marks his first stakes winner out of a mare by Dehere, who was the champion 2-year-old colt of 1993 and counts 115 stakes winners out of his daughters, including Breeders' Cup winners Midnight Lute (Real Quiet) and City of Light (Quality Road).

Saturday, Santa Anita Park
SANTA MARGARITA S.-GII, $200,000, Santa Anita, 4-24, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/8m, 1:49.95, ft.
1–AS TIME GOES BY, 120, f, 4, by American Pharoah
1st Dam: Take Charge Lady (Broodmare Of The Year, MGISW, $2,480,377), by Dehere
                2nd Dam: Felicita, by Rubiano
                3rd Dam: Grand Bonheur, by Blushing Groom (Fr)
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O-Michael
Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier & Derrick Smith; B-Orpendale &
Chelston (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Mike E. Smith. $120,000.
Lifetime Record: 6-3-2-1, $260,600. *1/2 to Take Charge Indy
(A.P. Indy), GISW, $1,103,496; 1/2 to Will Take Charge
(Unbridled's Song), Ch. 3YO, MGISW, $3,924,648. Werk Nick
   Rating: C+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–This Tea, 120, f, 4, Curlin–Funny Moon, by Malibu Moon.
($135,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP). O-Kretz Racing LLC; B-My
Meadowview LLC (KY); T-George Papaprodromou. $40,000.
3–Harvest Moon, 122, f, 4, Uncle Mo–Qaraaba (GB), by
Shamardal. O-Alice Bamford & Michael B. Tabor; B-Alice
Bamford (KY); T-Simon Callaghan. $24,000.
Margins: 9 1/4, 2 1/4, 11. Odds: 0.60, 31.80, 2.00.
Also Ran: Pharoah's Heart, Clockstrikestwelve.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Seven-Figure Tapit Colt Soars to Rising Stardom at Santa Anita

Hronis Racing, Siena Farm, Summer Wind Equine, West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing's Flightline (Tapit) turned in one of the more impressive debut performances in recent memory Saturday at Santa Anita to stamp himself as a no brainer 'TDN Rising Star'. Pounded down to 4-5 favoritism into the face of two Bob Baffert firsters, a $650,000 Simon Callaghan trainee and a MyRacehorse runner, the John Sadler pupil and $1-million Fasig-Tipton Saratoga grad broke perhaps a half-step slowly but quickly rushed up through horses to set a pressured pace from the rail. He began to widen his advantage after a :21.59 opening quarter, got the half in :44.42 while already some seven or eight lengths clear, and cantered to the wire from there to romp by a geared-down 13 1/4 lengths while stopping the clock in a sharp 1:08.75. Baffert runner Brutto (Nyquist) was best of the rest.

It was a productive day for seven-figure Saratoga graduates co-owned by West Point Thoroughbreds, Woodford Racing and Siena Farm. The overlapping connections also celebrated a debut win Saturday at Belmont with $1.5-million FTSAUG co-topper First Captain (Curlin). Flightline was the co-third-priciest purchase at that boutique auction.

Jane Lyon's Summer Wind purchased dam Feathered (Indian Charlie) for $2.35 million in foal to War Front at the 2016 Keeneland November sale. The 2015 GIII Edgewood S. winner, who was also a MGISP juvenile, is a granddaughter of MGISW Finder's Fee (Storm Cat). Her now 2-year-old Pioneerof the Nile colt sold for $100,000 at Fasig-Tipton October and was subsequently sent to Russia. Feathered has a yearling colt by Tapit named Failsafe and a foal colt by Curlin.

7th-Santa Anita, $62,000, Msw, 4-24, 3yo/up, 6f, 1:08.75, ft, 13 1/4 lengths.
FLIGHTLINE, c, 3, Tapit
1st Dam: Feathered (GSW & MGISP, $577,474), by Indian Charlie
2nd Dam: Receipt, by Dynaformer
3rd Dam: Finder's Fee, by Storm Cat
Sales history: $1,000,000 Ylg '19 FTSAUG. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $36,600. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree or the VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-Hronis Racing LLC, Siena Farm LLC, Summer Wind Equine, West Point Thoroughbreds & Woodford Racing LLC; B-Summer Wind Equine LLC (KY); T-John W. Sadler.

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Essential Quality Tops Loaded Derby Worktab Saturday

Godolphin's Essential Quality (Tapit) headlined a quintet of hopefuls that put in their final major works at Churchill Downs Saturday morning ahead of next weekend's Run for the Roses. Also working on an overcast morning were Juddmonte Farms' Mandaloun (Into Michief), Klaravich Stables' Highly Motivated (Into Mischief), Erv Woolsey and Keith Asmussen's Super Stock (Dialed In) and Fern Circle Stables and Three Chimneys Farm's King Fury (Curlin).

Heading the Brad Cox Derby team, last season's juvenile champ worked five furlongs in 1:00.40. With exercise rider Edvin Vargas aboard, the likely Derby favorite worked five furlongs in 1:00.20 outside of fellow Godolphin-owned Spa City. The duo began their work at the half-mile pole through splits of :12.80, :24.80 and :48.20. The recent GII Toyota Blue Grass S. winner completed a six-furlong gallop out in 1:14.60, according to Churchill Downs clocker John Nichols.

“We keep radios on all of our riders, so that way, we can stay in contact throughout the work,” Cox said. “Galloping out around the turn, I got on the radio to Edvin and told him not to let him go too strongly. Spa City is a horse we used as a workmate for Essential Quality the last three or four works. He's a good matchup for him because he's a good work horse.”

Shortly after Essential Quality completed his work, Mandaloun, with Florent Geroux in the saddle, worked five furlongs in 1:00 outside of recent Keeneland allowance winner Joe Frazier. The GII Risen Star S. scorer started about six lengths behind his stablemate and completed swift opening fractions of :23.20, :35.60 and :47.60. Mandaloun galloped out strongly around the first turn through a six-furlong time of 1:12.60 and completed seven furlongs in 1:27.20.

“Going into the pole, Joe Frazier was a little bit strong and I didn't want to ask Mandaloun to catch up to him too much,” Geroux said. “I didn't want to get him in the bit too early, so we started six or seven lengths behind but going around the turn and he really picked up the pace. He has a big stride to him and was full of himself getting over this track.”

King Fury put in his final workout for the Kentucky Derby, with jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. aboard during the period reserved for training horses pointed to the Derby and Oaks. King Fury worked a solo five furlongs in 1:00.20. He reeled off splits of :12.80, :25.20, :36.80, and :48.40. Hernandez Jr. guided him out to 1:12.80 for six furlongs and 1:26.60 for seven furlongs.

“Everything was good,” Hernandez Jr. said. “He did it with his ears up and he seems like he's a happy horse. He's got a little confidence in himself coming out of the Lexington. He's coming into the Derby with some confidence.”

The GIII Lexington S. winner moved up to No. 20 on the points leaderboard following the defections of Hozier (Pioneerof the Nile) and Dream Shake (Twirling Candy).

“We weren't fretting about it too much,” said trainer Ken McPeek. “It was all up to a higher power, if we didn't get in, then [the plan] was to go on to the [May 15] GI Preakness S. [at Pimlico]. Those things are out of our control. What other people do with their horses, it's not something we spend a lot of energy on. We would have worked him the same today, if he was going to Baltimore or if he was staying here.”

Trained by Chad Brown, Highly Motivated went five furlongs in 1:00.40 under exercise rider Peter Roman immediately after the break. Runner up to Essential Quality in Keeneland's Apr. 3 GII Toyota Blue Grass S. and eagerly pulled away from stablemate Southern District, while galloping out six furlongs in 1:14.20 and seven furlongs in 1:28.40.

“I thought he breezed really well and it went exactly how I wanted,” Brown said. “I wasn't afraid to give him a good solid breeze and he did it and he did it well, with some in reserve too. He got over the track well, which I really wanted to see. He had been galloping well over it, but really, when you get to see a breeze, you can see more, obviously.”

Also among yesterday Churchill workers, Super Stock, who hit the track at 5:32 a.m., went five furlongs in 1:01.20. The Steve Asmussen trainee worked in company with 4-year-old stablemate Max Player, galloping out six furlongs in 1:14.60, and seven furlongs in 1:28.

“He went perfect and he gave us exactly what we were looking for,” Asmussen said. “I think that the horse's confidence level is at an all-time high, he goes really well over this racetrack, and I couldn't feel any better about him going into the Derby.”

At Keeneland, Like the King worked five furlongs in 1:01. The move was the ninth fastest of 28 at the distance. Working in company with the 4-year-old Artie's Princess, the 2020 Sovereign Award winner as Canada's champion female sprinter, Like the King started two lengths in back and edged clear at the wire, galloping out six furlongs in 1:15.40 with Julio Garcia aboard.

“He was nice and smooth down the lane,” said Wesley Ward. “He had that filly measured, as he did last week. He looked a lot smoother this week than last week. Last week, he was kind of on the bridle. [Today] he was a lot more fluid.”

He added, “He's a very difficult horse to gallop. He had a really, really strong last part of his gallop [Friday] when a couple of workers came inside of him. So, I wasn't looking to go :59 or anything today.”

Ward indicated the GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks winner will jog Sunday morning and gallop Monday and Tuesday before vanning to Churchill after training.

West Coast Workers

At Santa Anita, Hronis Racing and David Talla's Rock Your World (Candy Ride {Arg}) worked five furlongs in :59.20. The unbeaten GI Santa Anita Derby winner went together with winner Best Chance and outfinished him by a couple of lengths, according to trainer, John Sadler

“He breezed very well,” said Sadler, who is seeking is first win in the Run for the Roses. “He looked good, nice and smooth. It was kind of a repeat of last week. We didn't want to do too much because he's right where he wants to be already. We're happy.”

'Rocks' is expected to ship to Kentucky Sunday and will jog Monday after arriving at Churchill Downs. He will gallop Tuesday and Wednesday, “but the schedule could be tinkered with slightly depending on the weather,” Sadler said.

Working before Santa Anita's first race Saturday, Roadrunner Racing, Boat Racing and Strauss Bros Racing's Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) went six furlongs 1:13.68 under Flavien Prat, who will accompany him next Saturday at Churchill Downs.

Accompanied by stablemate Chasing Fame, Hot Rod Charlie started one length behind his work partner at the five furlong pole, from where he tracked his company to the top of the lane, assumed command and worked past the wire to the seven furlong pole through splits of 24.46, 48.94 and 1:00.90.

“I loved the way he went,” said Prat, who was also aboard for a six furlong work in 1:14.20 at Santa Anita Apr. 17. “He went really easy and he went a solid three quarters, with a good gallop out. I loved his energy and the way he went by his stablemate.”

Santa Anita Timer Dane Nelson had the GII Louisiana Derby winner galloping out seven furlongs in 1:27.43.

“I love the fresh track and not having to worry about traffic,” said trainer Doug O'Neill, who won the Kentucky Derby in 2012 with I'll Have Another and in 2016 with Nyquist. “I'm real happy with the way he breezed. We're all set, looking forward to getting him to Churchill and finding out what our post position will be on Tuesday.”

Hot Rod Charlie will be flown to Louisville early Sunday morning and will gallop and/or jog throughout the week over the Churchill Downs main track.

Also posting his final Derby tightener, Gary Barber's Get Her Number (Dialed In) worked five furlongs in 1:02 at San Luis Rey Training Center with Peter Miller on-hand for the work.

“He went out in 1:14 and it was a nice move,” Miller said via text from the facility, which is about 30 miles northeast of Del Mar racetrack.

Miller indicated a final decision would be made Saturday regarding the colt's participation in Saturday's Classic.

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‘I Loved His Energy’: Prat Breezes Hot Rod Charlie Before First Race At Santa Anita

Doug O'Neill, in search of his third career win in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on May 1, sent recent Grade 2 Louisiana Derby winner Hot Rod Charlie out for his final Derby prep at 12:09 p.m. PT Saturday afternoon at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., as the Kentucky-bred colt by Oxbow went six furlongs 1:13.68 under Flavien Prat, who will accompany him next Saturday at Churchill Downs.

Hot Rod Charlie came on the main track outside his lead pony and stablemate Chasing Fame via Santa Anita's quarter mile chute, galloped through the stretch and was set down while one length behind his work partner at the five-furlong pole, from where he tracked his company to the top of the lane where he assumed command and worked past the wire to the seven furlong pole through splits of 24.46, 48.94 and 1:00.90.

Santa Anita Timer Dane Nelson had Hot Rod Charlie galloping out seven furlongs in 1:27.43.

“I'm extremely grateful to the Santa Anita Racing Department for letting us work after training hours and before the races,” said O'Neill, who won the Kentucky Derby in 2012 with I'll Have Another and in 2016 with Nyquist. “I love the fresh track and not having to worry about traffic. I'm real happy with the way he breezed. We're all set, looking forward to getting him to Churchill and finding out what our post position will be on Tuesday.”

Owned by Roadrunner Racing, Boat Racing, LLC and William Strauss, Hot Rod Charlie was purchased as a yearling at public auction for $110,000 by O'Neill's brother Dennis, and with his win in the Louisiana Derby on March 20, he now has earnings of $1,005,700 from an overall mark of 7-2-1-2.

A one mile maiden winner in his fourth career start at Santa Anita on Oct. 2, Hot Rod Charlie was subsequently second beaten three quarters of a length by likely Derby favorite Essential Quality in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Nov. 6 at Keeneland.

Reunited with Prat for the first time since a fifth place finish in a one mile maiden race on grass at Del Mar Sept. 7, Hot Rod Charlie, who is out of the Indian Charlie mare Indian Miss, will be facing Essential Quality for the first time since the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

“I loved the way he went,” said Prat, who was also aboard for a six-furlong work in 1:14.20 on April 17. “He went really easy and he went a solid three quarters, with a good gallop out. I loved his energy and the way he went by his stablemate. Essential Quality is the favorite and we're one of many horses who have a good chance. There's no pressure and I'm really excited to be riding this horse.”

Hot Rod Charlie will be flown to Louisville early Sunday morning and will gallop and/or jog throughout the week over the Churchill Downs main track.

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