As Time Goes By noses This Tea in Santa Maria Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. - The 4-year-old fillies As Time Goes By and This Tea were first and second, separated by 9 1/4 lengths, in the Grade 2 Santa Margarita Stakes at 1 1/8 miles at Santa Anita on April 24.

The result did not suggest the rematch would be of importance in Saturday’s Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita, particularly with the two-time Grade 1 winner Ce Ce joining the field.

As Time Goes By won the $196,000 Santa Maria, but only by a nose against a determined This Tea, the 23-1 outsider in a field of four. Ce Ce was not a factor in the final furlong and faded to finish last.

“At least it was exciting,” trainer Bob Baffert said in the winner’s circle. “She wasn’t doing it easy. I thought I’d done enough with her and she still ran hard.”

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As Time Goes By, who carried 126 pounds compared to 122 pounds for the other runners, was ridden by Mike Smith, who was also aboard for a win on the filly in an allowance race on March 13 and the Santa Maria.

As Time Goes By ($2.80) ran 1 1-16 miles in 1:43.77, racing near the front throughout. She earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 97.

Miss Stormy D set a moderate pace of 23.83 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 47.12 for a half-mile.

As Time Goes By took the lead with three furlongs remaining, and led by a length at the eighth pole. This Tea closed steadily to just miss, finishing eight lengths clear of Miss Stormy D.

In the Santa Margarita, As Time Goes By led throughout and was well clear in early stretch. That was not the case in the Santa Maria.

“She got a little tired and she’ll get a lot out of this,” Smith said.

Baffert noted that As Time Goes By “came back blowing,” he said. As Time Goes By had two recorded workouts earlier this month.

“I’ve been going easy on her for this,” Baffert said.

This Tea, trained by George Papaprodromou for Kretz Racing, gave a career-best performance in her 13th start on Saturday.

The Santa Maria was the first stakes win for Hall of Famer Baffert since Medina Spirit in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 1. Medina Spirit later showed an excessive level of betamethasone in a post-race test, and could be disqualified from the famous race, pending the results of a second test. The positive led Churchill Downs and the New York Racing Association to ban Baffert from racing at those tracks.

As Time Goes By, a 4-year-old filly by American Pharoah, races for the Coolmore syndicate and has won 4 of 7 starts and has earned $380,600. As Time Goes By was second to 2020 champion 3-year-old filly Swiss Skydiver in the Grade 1 Beholder Mile on March 13 in her stakes debut.