As Time Goes By Digs Deep for Santa Maria Score
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Photo: Benoit Photo
As Time Goes By (inside) holds off This Tea to win the Santa Maria Stakes at Santa Anita Park
As Time Goes By added her second consecutive graded stakes in the May 22 Santa Maria Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park, but This Tea made her work for it.
Following her 9 1/4-length triumph of the April 24 Santa Margarita Stakes (G2), As Time Goes By this time had to withstand a gallant late challenge from This Tea , who had run second in the Santa Margarita. In the Santa Maria, the two fillies surged to the wire as a team, with the photo showing As Time Goes By the winner by a nose.
"I'd been going easy on her for this, and today's the first time she's come back and she was really blowing," said Bob Baffert, who trains the 4-year-old daughter of American Pharoah for owners Michael Tabor, Susan Magnier, and Derrick Smith.
Only four distaffers lined up for the 1 1/16-mile Santa Maria following the scratch of Last First Kiss . As Time Goes By went off as the 2-5 favorite over 3-2 Ce Ce , winner of the 2020 Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) and Beholder Mile (G1). Graded stakes-placed Miss Stormy D was 15-1, while This Tea was the longest shot at 23-1.
When the gate opened, Miss Stormy D went to the front while jockey Mike Smith had As Time Goes By in second. Miss Stormy D completed the first quarter-mile in :23.83 and a half-mile in :47.12.
"We were able to jump really well, sit at a nice pace," Smith said.
As the field headed for the second turn, Smith urged As Time Goes By forward and they wrested the lead away from Miss Stormy D nearing the three-eighths pole. Miss Stormy D battled As Time Goes By around the turn, and when As Time Goes By began to edge away in the upper stretch, she then had to face another challenge.
Last in the early stages, This Tea angled three-wide in the second turn and started to close in on As Time Goes By. In the stretch, This Tea seemed determined to get past As Time Goes By. However, the favorite refused to capitulate and scored the slim victory.
As Time Goes By stopped the timer in 1:43.77.
"My hat's off to the filly that finished second—she ran a huge race," said Smith. "The Lakers don't always blow every team out. Every now and then you gotta fight one out, and that's what she had to do today."
This Tea finished eight lengths ahead of third-place Miss Stormy D. Ce Ce, in contention on the second turn, ended up fourth, beaten more than 10 lengths.
With no show wagering, As Time Goes By paid $2.80 to win and $2.10 to place, while This Tea paid $6.60 to place.
"Her heart and her true grit—she hung in there," said Baffert. "That horse (This Tea) ran a big race to her in a respectable time. There were some nice fillies in there. Ce Ce was the main concern. My filly ran hard."
The connections of As Time Goes By enjoy the Santa Maria trophy presentation
Smith said he feels As Time Goes By will get a lot out of her Santa Maria effort.
"They kind of backed off her a little bit," he said. "She's a big mare with a big frame, and she'll tend to gain some weight. I could tell she was a little more stocked today. She got a little tired, but she'll get a whole lot out of that."
Orpendale and Chelston bred As Time Goes By in Kentucky out of the late Dehere mare Take Charge Lady, who earned nearly $2.5 million on the racetrack. A half sister to champion Will Take Charge and millionaire Take Charge Indy , As Time Goes By broke her maiden in her third start at 3 last year. In 2021 prior to the April 24 Santa Margarita, she won a Jan. 17 allowance race and finished second to champion Swiss Skydiver in the March 13 Beholder Mile (G1).