As Time Goes By stays home in bid for first graded win in Santa Margarita

ARCADIA, Calif. – The distaff division, which stayed quiet the first three months of 2021, is making noise and undergoing revision now that winter has turned to spring.

The transition continues Saturday at Santa Anita, where As Time Goes By seeks her first graded victory in the Grade 2 Santa Margarita Stakes. The improving filly stands out over Harvest Moon and others, though recently there are no sure things in the distaff division.

The 1 1/8-mile Santa Margarita will be the third of five graded dirt races for fillies and mares in a 17-day period across the country, and disruption has begun.

Letruska upset division leaders Monomoy Girl and Swiss Skydiver on April 17 in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park, a day after Bonny South won the Grade 3 Doubledogdare at Keeneland while Grade 1-winning favorite Speech finished last.

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The Grade 1 La Troienne on April 30 at Churchill Downs is expected to include 2020 Kentucky Oaks winner Shedaresthedevil, and the Grade 2 Ruffian on May 2 at Belmont Park may include Grade 1 winner Dunbar Road. That’s five stakes in 2 1/2 weeks. The division is spread thin; the Santa Margarita attracted five entrants.

As Time Goes By was nominated to the $500,000 La Troienne, but trainer Bob Baffert opted for the $200,000 Santa Margarita rather than roll the dice with Kentucky weather.

“What if it rains? What if it gets wet? I may take her back East and run her in something big at Saratoga, but the main goal is the Breeders’ Cup [Distaff] at Del Mar,” Baffert said.

It is a long way off, and As Time Goes By must prove she belongs. She is getting there. She won a maiden sprint in December, crushed an allowance route in January, and in her stakes debut last month finished second to Swiss Skydiver in the Grade 1 Beholder Mile.

A big, tall filly by American Pharoah and sibling to a pair of Grade 1 winners including Take Charge Indy, As Time Goes By will be ridden by Mike Smith. Her main rival is Harvest Moon, who will try to improve off a disappointing comeback.

Harvest Moon emerged as California’s top older filly or mare last year, and ended her campaign with a solid fourth in the BC Distaff. But her 2021 debut in the Beholder was not good. Harvest Moon pressed the pace, tired, and finished fourth by seven lengths.

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“She just didn’t seem to fire her race,” trainer Simon Callaghan said. “She was a bit quiet after the race. I don’t know, no major excuse.”

Callaghan said Harvest Moon has trained well since her comeback, and he expects an improved effort second start back.

“She looks like she’s moved forward for the race, let’s put it that way,” he said.

Flavien Prat rides Harvest Moon.

The three others are longshots – lightly raced Pharoah’s Heart, late-runner This Tea, and Clockstrikestwelve, who was cross-entered in a stakes Saturday at Golden Gate. The Santa Margarita is race 8 of 11 on Saturday at Santa Anita.