At the end of January 1, 200,000 CAD Shares in La Canada (G3) at Santa Anita . Park, there may be a rising star off the coast of California in the form of Hronis Racing’s Park Avenue . The 1/16-mile race is the New Year’s first ranking competition for mares 4 years of age and older.
Despite failing on the first four attempts to find the winner’s circle, Park Avenue has been flawless since breaking her maiden run in a five-strong race on October 29. at Santa Anita. Daughter of Quality Sugar tracked that score with an almost identical effort in a one-mile-allowed option claim contest at Racetrack Los Alamitos December 12, easily defeat the opponent Fi Fi Pharoah in process.
Coached by John Sadler, Park Avenue recorded a series of hot winds dating back to November. During the second exercise back from her last race, the bay last split apart. five springs in 1 p.m. on the Santa Anita main track on December 27, the seventh fastest of 111 works that day.
She retained the service of jockey Juan Hernandez in her share debut.
It wouldn’t be a Southern California stake race without at least one entry from Bob Baffert’s barn and two-man-assigned trainer for La Canada, including the morning favorite. As time goes by .
Owned by Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith of Coolmore, the 5-year-old As Time Goes By has compiled a respectable resume to join the Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) this year. The American pharoah filly collected two graded stake wins at Santa Anita this past spring in Santa Margarita (G2) and Santa Maria (G2) along with a runner-up behind Swiss skydivers in the Beholder Mile (G1).
After a tireless effort in the Breeders’ Cup, As Time Goes By returns to the work tab and recovers with a decisive victory in the Bayakoa Stakes (G3) on December 5 at Racetrack Los Alamitos. Coming in third that day was fellow La Canada contender and purveyor Las Virgenes Stakes (G3) Moonlight d’Oro , who got her started for the second time after nine months of being fired.
After Bayakoa, Baffert indicated that a 2022 campaign was imminent for As Time Goes By.
“I always appreciated her,” Baffert said. “I really wanted to win a 1st grade with her and I knew she could do it. The owners said if she did well, they would keep her in training.”
Flavien Prat will be back aboard As Time Goes By as the pair break through from the far side.
Baffert’s other La Canada participants are Sarah Kelly and Jane Wiltz’s Velvet sandals . The gentle Quality Road track clearly beat Park Avenue by four segments when it caught her special maiden weight on September 2 at Del Mar. Returned two weeks later, she was later only missed in the Dark Mirage Stakes at Los Alamitos after an erratic tense match with the Samurai Charm.
Velvet Slippers, tested by Hall of Famer John Velazquez on Saturday, was an optional claimant’s game winner in her most recent start on November 19.
Item: La Canada S. (G3)
Santa Anita . Park, Saturday, January 1, 2022, Race No. 9
- Level III
- 1 1/16m
- Dust
- 200,000 dollars
- 4 yo & up Fillies and Mares
- 4:05pm (local)
