As Time Goes By produces glittering performance to win Santa Margarita Stakes
Coolmore Stud shuttler American Pharoah (Pioneerof The Nile) sired his 15th stakes winner on Saturday as his Bob Baffert-trained daughter As Time Goes By (4 m ex Take Charge Lady by Dehere) produced a foot perfect performance to emphatically land the Santa Margarita Stakes (Gr 2, 9f) at Santa Anita.
The Coolmore Stud-raced filly went into the Grade 2 off the back of a second place finish in the Beholder Mile Stakes (Gr 1, 1m) and after the leading from the off the filly kicked clear impressively to beat This Tea (Curlin) by an astonishing nine and a quarter lengths. Harvest Moon (Uncle Mo) was a further two and a quarter lengths away in third.
"We've been slowly developing her," said Baffert. "I've been really patient with this filly. She's big and long, and the further the better.
"When you have owners like that (Coolmore) will give you the time, you tell them that she's worth the time. They've been really great.
"She's just sweet, the kindest—just so much class.”
Bred by Orpendale & Chelston, the filly is out of three time-winning Grade 1 winner Take Charge Lady (Dehere), making her a half-sister to dual Grade 1 winner Will Take Charge (Unbridled’s Song) and fellow elite level winner and sire Take Charge Indy (A.P. Indy).
The filly is also a half-sister to winning mare Charming (Seeking The Gold), who in turn produced dual Grade 1 winner Take Charge Brandi (Giant’s Causeway) and Omaha Beach (War Front), who shuttled to Spendthrift Australia for the first time in 2020.
Take Charge Lady herself is a half-sister to Listed-winning duo Commendation (Capote) and Eventail (Lear Fan) - the dam of Grade 2 scorer Straight Story (Giant’s Causeway) and Listed winner Strong Souther (Heart’s Cry).
A winner of the US Triple Crown, American Pharoah's global winner count stands at 111, and his stakes winners are headed by three top-flight winners; Harvey's Lil Goil, Van Gogh and Cafe Pharoah, while the stallion’s first southern hemisphere bred crop has reaped three winners from 12 starters.
