ARCADIA, Calif—A bit slow into stride out of the gate, heavily favored As Time Goes By recovered quickly and set about orchestrating an impressive gate to wire victory in Saturday’s Grade I, $500,000 Beholder Mile at Santa Anita.
Trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by Flavien Prat, the 5-year-old mare by Baffert’s 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah won by 2 ¼ lengths over a tenacious Miss Bigly while getting the distance in 1:37.55.
“She broke a little flat foot. We kind of brushed each other and after that I had to hustler her a little bit to get (us) in the race, but after that I was travelling well, and I felt like I was in control.
“It felt like when she felt that filly (Miss Bigly) coming at her she kind of regrouped and went on again so, it was nice,” Pratt said.
With expectations running high fresh off a 13 ½ length victory on New Year’s Day, As Time Goes By ran to the betting, notching her first Grade I win and getting her third consecutive stakes win for owners Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith.
“We got the Grade I! 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. (Flavien Prat) was aggressive with her early and put her into the race. I think the longer the better with her. Prat knows this track and knows her well.
“That was cool receiving the trophy from (trainer Richard) Mandella in the Winner’s Circle. These (American) Pharoah horses are fast. It’s a great day for Pharoah horses (Mandella’s Forbidden Kingdom won earlier in the day). American Pharoah has meant so much to racing.” Bob Baffert commented.
Although she was in control throughout, the Phil D’Amato-trained Miss Bigly loomed ominously while about three lengths back with a furlong to run, but there was no catching the winner.
A romping winner of the Grade II La Canada Stakes Jan. 1 and a second-place finisher to Eclipse Champ Swiss Skydiver in last year’s Beholder Mile, As Time Goes By was off at 1-5 in a field of four older mares and paid $2.60 and $2.20 with no show wagering.
Out of the Dehere mare Take Charge Lady, As Time Goes By now has five graded stakes wins and has won three out of her four starts at one mile. With the winner’s share of $300,000, she ran her earnings to $955,600 from and overall mark of 14-7-3-1.
Miss Bigly, second turning for home, ran a huge race in defeat while finishing seven lengths in front of longshot Varda. Off at 8-1, she paid $3.80 to place.
Envoutante, who shipped in from Gulfstream Park for last year’s Beholder-winning trainer Ken McPeek, checked in a distant last as the 5-2 second choice.
Fractions on the race were 22.76, 46.22, 1:10.60 and 1:24.06.
Santa Anita Press Release
Photo of As Time Goes By by Benoit Photos
