As Time Goes By Returns to Los Alamitos for Bayakoa
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Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
As Time Goes By trains at Del Mar
Two-time grade 2 winner As Time Goes By will battle six rivals in her return to Los Alamitos Race Course Dec. 5 in the $100,000 Bayakoa Stakes (G3).
Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert for the Coolmore-affiliated Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith, the 4-year-old American Pharoah filly out of blue hen producer Take Charge Lady broke her maiden by four lengths in her lone start at Los Alamitos, defeating six opponents at six furlongs last December. Since then, she has advanced her record to 4-for-11 with earnings of $475,600. Most recently she faded to eighth after chasing a blistering pace in the Nov. 6 Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) at Del Mar.
Drawn inside in the Bayakoa under Flavien Prat, she figures to flash speed to sit on or near the pace, an up-close style she utilized in victories in the Santa Margarita Stakes (G2) and Santa Maria Stakes (G2) this spring at Santa Anita Park.
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For fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, the Bayakoa will be run for the fifth time at Los Alamitos. Baffert will be seeking his second Bayakoa win locally as he took the inaugural running with Tiz Midnight in 2014. He also won the race when it was staged at Del Mar in 2016 with Vale Dori and at now-shuttered Hollywood Park in 2011 at Hollywood Park with Ellafitz .
Four rivals—Harvest Moon , Warren's Showtime , Stellar Sound , and Moonlight d'Oro —have shown the ability to win or contend in graded stakes and add further class to the 1 1/16-mile dirt race.
Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella, who won the 2017 Bayakoa with Majestic Heat , will be represented Sunday by Moonlight d'Oro. Owned by MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm, the 3-year-old Medaglia d'Oro filly was runner-up as the odds-on choice in the restricted Seashell Stakes at Del Mar Nov. 3 after nine months on the sidelines with a knee chip. 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 Las Virgenes Stakes (G3) Feb. 6 at Santa Anita.
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 out of 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 a distant third behind As Time Goes By in the Santa Margarita. A daughter of Uncle Mo out of the Shamardal mare Qaraaba, 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 in July of last year.
Third as the favorite in the 2020 Bayakoa won by Proud Emma , Stellar Sound will be making her first start since finishing fourth of eight in the Zenyatta Stakes (G2) Oct. 3 at Santa Anita. Owned by breeder Don Alberto Stable and trained by Michael McCarthy, the 4-year-old gray daughter of Tapit from 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.
Longshots Lisette and Bye Bye Bertie complete the field.
LOS ALAMITOS RACE COURSE, Sunday, December 05, 2021, Race 9Entries: Bayakoa S. (G3)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1As Time Goes By (KY)
Flavien Prat
124
Bob Baffert
2/1
2
2Harvest Moon (KY)
Mike E. Smith
124
Simon Callaghan
6/1
3
3Bye Bye Bertie (KY)
Abel Cedillo
119
Leonard Powell
6/1
4
4Warren's Showtime (CA)
Juan J. Hernandez
121
Craig Anthony Lewis
7/2
5
5Lisette (KY)
Kyle Frey
116
Patrick Gallagher
20/1
6
6Stellar Sound (KY)
Kent J. Desormeaux
119
Michael W. McCarthy
9/2
7
7Moonlight d'Oro (KY)
Drayden Van Dyke
118
Richard E. Mandella
4/1
