As Time Goes By Rolls Home in Beholder Mile
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Photo: Benoit Photo
As Time Goes By is alone at the wire in the Beholder Mile Stakes at Santa Anita Park
As Time Goes By made short work of a short field with a dominant victory in the $500,000 Beholder Mile Stakes (G1) March 5 at Santa Anita Park.
After breaking just a tad slowly and bumping with Varda , the 5-year-old daughter of American Pharoah was hustled to the lead from post 3 by Flavien Prat a few strides after the start. From there, she widened her advantage to the wire to win by 2 1/4 lengths.
"She broke a little flat-footed," Prat said. "We kind of brushed each other and after that I had to hustle her a little bit to get (us) in the race, but after that I was traveling well and I felt like I was in control."
After clicking off splits of :22.76, :46.22, 1:10.60, and 1:24.06, 1-5 favorite As Time Goes By turned back the mild challenge of Miss Bigley to soar clear under the wire in a final time of 1:37.55 on a fast track.
"It felt like when she felt that filly (Miss Bigly) coming at her, she kind of rebroke and went on again, so it was nice," Prat said.
It was seven lengths back to comebacking Varda in third, while Envoutante finished fourth. Founder's Day and Moonlight d'Oro were scratched.
Owned by Michael Tabor, Susan Magnier, and Derrick Smith and trained Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, As Time Goes By ($2.60) landed her first top-level score after running second to Swiss Skydiver in the 2021 edition of the Beholder Mile.
The impressive victory of As Time Goes By came on the same card as a frontrunning romp by the 2015 Triple Crown winner's sophomore son Forbidden Kingdom in the San Felipe Stakes (G2).
"We got the grade 1!" Baffert said. "I talked (the owners) into another year with her. She gets better with age. She is such an exciting and classy mare. She never breaks a sweat."
With expectations running high off a 13 1/2-length victory in the La Canada Stakes (G3) on New Year's Day, As Time Goes By notched her third consecutive graded stakes score and fifth graded stakes score overall. Her record now stands at 7-3-1 from 14 starts with earnings of $955,600.
"(Flavien Prat) was aggressive with her early and put her into the race," Baffert said. "I think the longer the better with her. Prat knows this track and knows her well… These (American) Pharoah horses are fast. It's a great day for 'Pharoah' horses. American Pharoah has meant so much to racing."
Bred in Kentucky by Coolmore's Orpendale & Chelston, As Time Goes By is out of the remarkable blue hen Take Charge Lady , herself a multiple grade 1 winner and the dam of grade 1 winners Take Charge Indy and Will Take Charge . As Time Goes By was the final foal out of the mare, the 2013 broodmare of the year.