santa anita | Horse Racing Free Tips

As Time Goes By, Merneith Retired

Leading Southern California dirt mares As Time Goes By (American Pharoah) and Merneith (American Pharoah) have been retired from racing, trainer Bob Baffert told Daily Racing Form.

Twice a Grade II winner last year as a 4-year-old, Coolmore's As Time Goes By retires on a three-race winning streak and picked up the first Grade I victory of her career last out in the Beholder Mile S. Mar. 5 at Santa Anita. A half-sister to Grade I winners Will Take Charge (Unbridled's Song) and Take Charge Indy (A.P. Indy) out of MGISW and champion broodmare Take Charge Lady (Dehere), she retires with a record of 14-7-3-1 and earnings of $955,600 and is slated to be bred to Into Mischief.

“Mares like that, from such a powerful family, they're so valuable,” Baffert told DRF regarding As Time Goes By. “I could have kept her [to race], but after she won the Grade I, they retired her to breed her.”

Merneith, a $600,000 OBS March purchase in 2019, was a stakes winner at three and earned successes in back-to-back renewals of the GII Santa Monica S. in 2021 and earlier this year. She retires with a record of 12-5-4-2 and earnings of $493,620. Breeding plans for the HRH Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud-owned bay are yet to be determined.

Baffert also told DRF that GI La Brea S. heroine Kalypso (Brody's Cause) has been transferred out of his barn to a trainer at Oaklawn.

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Messier Fires Bullet in First Work for Yakteen

Top GI Kentucky Derby contender Messier (Empire Maker), recently transferred from Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert to his former assistant Tim Yakteen, breezed six furlongs Sunday for a start in the GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby Apr. 9 in a bullet 1:11.40, fastest by nearly three seconds of five recorded works at the distance.

“He worked lights out,” Yakteen said of Messier. “We had Johnny [Velazquez] work him and he'll ride him in the Santa Anita Derby. He gave us a thumbs up. The horse looked great, although he ended up with some unexpected company. We almost had a little training race out there.”

Messier was last seen winning the GIII Robert B. Lewis S. by 15 lengths Feb. 6 in Arcadia.

Yakteen, a 57-year-old native of Germany who assisted Baffert off and on for almost 10 years between a tour with the legendary Charlie Whittingham, also received promising 3-year-old Doppelganger (Into Mischief) from the Baffert barn.

“Both horses came to me in good shape,” said Yakteen, who began training solo in 2004. “They were always well cared for.”

A $570,000 Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearling who worked five furlongs at Santa Anita in 1:00.20 (5/54) Saturday, Doppelganger is headed to the GI Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park Apr. 2.

“We'll see if he can validate himself as a [Kentucky] Derby horse, earn some points and take it from there,” Yakteen said. “The horses are doing well, but you still need a little bit of luck.”

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Connect Colt Romps on Debut

2nd-Santa Anita, $67,500, Msw, 3-26, 3yo/up, 6 1/2f, 1:16.48, ft, 10 lengths.
HIGH CONNECTION (c, 3, Connect–Forest Legend, by Forest Camp), sent off at 7-5, was hustled out of the gate from his rail post and took the early lead. Setting the pace through a quarter in :21.86 and a half in :44.96, he skipped away in upper stretch and powered home a 10-length winner. Pioneering Papa (Classic Empire) chased throughout and was second. High Connection was a $75,000 KEESEP yearling and a $290,000 OBS March juvenile (:10 flat). Forest Legend, who produced a filly by Tonalist last year, sold for $16,000 while in foal to Summer Front at the 2021 Keeneland November sale and was exported to Turkey. The mare is a half-sister to graded winner Silver Reunion (Harlan's Holiday), who produced graded winner Speaktomeofsummer (Summer Front). Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $40,200.
O-HRH Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud; B-G. Watts Humphrey (KY); T-Bob Baffert.

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Sunday’s Insights: Sale-Topping Nyquist Colt Makes Second Start at Santa Anita

6th-SA, $67K, Msw, 3yo/up, 1m, 6:38 p.m. ET

With a race under his belt, BLETCHLEY PARK (Nyquist) looks to move forward in his second career start Sunday for trainer Bob Baffert. The bay colt, purchased for a sale-topping $2.6 million from the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Park Sale (:9 4/5), was a close second behind Happy Jack (Oxbow), who has since gone on to place third in the GII San Felipe S. Bletchley Park is the first foal to race from the Smart Strike mare Spinning Wheel who, while not a particularly successful runner herself, is a half-sister to GISP Ride On Curlin (Curlin). His most recent work was a sharp five furlongs in :59 2/5, beating all but one out of 36 recorded works at the distance. He'll stretch out to the mile distance after his debut at six furlongs. Jockey John Velazquez retains the ride.

Also making his second career start is the newly gelded Q B One (Uncle Mo) for trainer Richard Mandella and owner Spendthrift Farm. The first foal out of champion and MGISW Beholder (Henny Hughes) returns off a seventh-place effort going 6 1/2 furlongs Dec. 26 after a bothered start behind two who have since gone on to win. TJCIS PPs

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