Half-sister to American Pharoah set for debut

DEL MAR, Calif. – The 2-year-old filly Chasing Yesterday will forever be compared with her older half-brother, a fella named American Pharoah who swept the 2015 Triple Crown.

Chasing Yesterday will have to carve out her own niche in racing. She will make her debut in a maiden special weight race for fillies at 5 1/2 furlongs in the first race at Del Mar on Saturday.

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The distance is not ideal, trainer Bob Baffert said, but Chasing Yesterday has drawn a favorable post on the outside in a field of seven.

“She’s not really a sprinter,” Baffert said. “She wants to go farther.

“We expect her to run well. We haven’t set her down.”

Chasing Yesterday, by Tapit, is owned by Summerwind Farms, who bred the filly. Mike Smith will ride. Chasing Yesterday has had a steady schedule of workouts since early June, including gate works at Santa Anita and Del Mar in the middle of this month.

The field has six first-time starters and Point Received, who has been eighth and fourth in two starts.

Aside from Chasing Yesterday, the most prominent first-time starter is Scarlet, a filly by Uncle Mo who was purchased for $375,000 at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling sale. Scarlet has caught trainer Richard Mandella’s eyes in recent weeks.

“She can run a little bit,” Mandella said. “She’s quick and smart.”