As a half-sister to Triple Crown winner American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile), Chasing Yesterday (Tapit) has been in the limelight since she first stepped hoof in the Bob Baffert barn. Displaying her talent from the start with a 'TDN Rising Star'-worthy debut win and a pair of listed stakes tallies, the Summer Wind Equine homebred moved out of her esteemed sibling's shadow and proved to be a top class racehorse in her own right Saturday when passing her two-turn test with a gritty victory in the GI Starlet S. at Los Alamitos.
Away well from the outside post in this six-horse affair, the 3-2 favorite was four-wide rounding the first turn as stablemate and fellow 'Rising Star' Mother Mother (Pioneerof the Nile) strode up to dictate terms with Sold It (The Factor) and Enaya Alrabb (Uncle Mo) stacked up beside her. Chasing Yesterday settled in a joint fourth, running two wide through an opening quarter in :23.25 and was shuffled back a bit to caboose the field alongside GIII Tempted S. upsetter Oxy Lady (Oxbow) through a half in :47.07.
Advancing up the outside on the backstretch run, the chestnut ranged up alongside the top three to make it four across the track exiting the bend. Sold It threw in the towel in early stretch and Mother Mother was giving it all she had on the rail to stick with Chasing Yesterday and Enaya Alrabb, but it was clear those two would be the ones to decide the finish. It was a nail-biting duel to the wire with Enaya Alrabb hanging tough with her more seasoned rival. However, in the end, Chasing Yesterday proved far too classy for the recent maiden winner, forging clear in the final strides to win by a head with Mother Mother another neck in third.
It was the first Grade I success for both the filly and her owner Jane Lyon of Summer Wind Farm, who is the breeder of four top-level scorers in Moonshine Memories (Malibu Moon), McKinzie (Street Sense), undefeated juvenile Game Winner (Candy Ride {Arg}) and Mozu Ascot (Frankel {GB}). Baffert and jockey Drayden Van Dyke were collecting their second juvenile Grade I win of the day following Improbable (City Zip)'s victory in the GI Los Alamitos Futurity two races prior. Baffert has saddled five Starlet winners, including last year's heroine Dream Tree (Uncle Mo).
“We thought Mother Mother would be on the lead and I told [jockey Florent Geroux] just try to nurse her along,” Baffert said. “[Chasing Yesterday] was so wide. Turning for home, I really thought Mother Mother was going to kick on and keep going. It was a really thrilling finish. I didn't think [Chasing Yesterday] was going to get there because she had been so wide. She's a nice filly, but [Van Dyke] really sat patient. He loves this filly and he had a lot of confidence in her. This kid is like [Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick] Mahomes. He's smart and has a lot of natural talent. Pretty nice to get a Grade I win with American Pharoah's [half] sister.”
“Those two fillies inside her [runner-up and Mother Mother] both ran super, but my filly dug in and just kept coming,” Van Dyke said. “She really showed us she's a half-sister to American Pharoah. Winning two Grade I races in the same day is amazing.”
An ultra-impressive debut winner at Del Mar July 28, Chasing Yesterday was a disappointing seventh after encountering some trouble in Saratoga's GI Spinaway S. Sept. 1. The flashy chestnut returned to California in good form, rattling off wins in the Anoakia S. at Santa Anita Oct. 14 and the Desi Arnaz S. back at Del Mar last time Nov. 12.
Pedigree Notes:
Jane Lyon purchased Chasing Yesterday's dam Littleprincessemma for $2.1 million carrying a full-brother to American Pharoah at the 2014 Fasig-Tipton November Sale, shortly after that bay colt was forced to miss the Breeders' Cup with a foot issue and not long before he earned his first Eclipse. That purchase proved even more shrewd seven months later when American Pharoah became the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years and went on to win the 2015 GI Breeders' Cup Classic, as well as two more Eclipse awards for Horse of the Year and champion sophomore male. His year-younger full-sister American Cleopatra was tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' after her debut win in 2016, which she followed with a second-place finish in the GI Del Mar Debutante S. The Pioneerof the Nile colt Littleprincessemma was carrying when Lyon purchased her became St Patrick's Day, who the breeder sold privately to Coolmore following American Pharoah's Triple Crown success. Breaking his maiden at Del Mar last September for Baffert, the now-3-year-old was sent to Aidan O'Brien and though he is winless on the turf in Europe, he did finish second in the G3 Renaissance S. Sept. 30. Littleprincessemma is also responsible for a yearling full-brother to American Pharoah named Theprinceofthebes and a weanling full-brother to Chasing Yesterday named Triple Tap. The 12-year-old mare, who is back in foal to Tapit, is a half-sister to GSW & GISP Misty Rosette (Stormin Fever) and GSW Storm Wolf (Stormin Fever). Chasing Yesterday, who was named in honor of Lyon's late husband Frank, is the 25th Grade I winner for her leading sire Tapit and his 67th graded stakes winner.
STARLET S.-GI, $300,345, Los Alamitos, 12-8, 2yo, f, 1 1/16m, 1:42.59, ft.
1–CHASING YESTERDAY, 120, f, 2, by Tapit&log=">Tapit
1st Dam: Littleprincessemma (Broodmare of the Year), by Yankee Gentleman
2nd Dam: Exclusive Rosette, by Ecliptical
3rd Dam: Zetta Jet, by Tri Jet
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I WIN. **TDN Rising Star**O/B-Summer Wind Equine (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Drayden Van Dyke. $180,000. Lifetime Record: 5-4-0-0, $324,250. *1/2 to American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile), HOTY, Ch. 2yo & 3yo, Triple Crown Winner, MGISW, $8,650,300; American Cleopatra (Pioneerof the Nile), GISP; St. Patrick's Day (Pioneerof the Nile), GSP-Ire. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Enaya Alrabb, 120, f, 2, by Uncle Mo&log=">Uncle Mo
1st Dam: Lotta Rhythm, by Rhythm
2nd Dam: Kim's Blues, by Cure the Blues
3rd Dam: Early Decision, by Lord Gaylord
($75,000 RNA Wlg '16 KEENOV; $150,000 Ylg '17 KEESEP). O-Enaya Racing; B-Tony Holmes & Dr. & Mrs. Walter Zent (KY); T-Doug F. O'Neill. $60,000.
3–Mother Mother, 120, f, 2, by Pioneerof the Nile
1st Dam: Mother, by Lion Hearted
2nd Dam: Proper Lassie, by Topsider
3rd Dam: Proper Miss, by Tom Rolfe
**TDN Rising Star**($450,000 Ylg '17 KEESEP). O-Bolton, George, Hall, Barry, Lipman, Barry, Mathiesen, Mark and Molasky, Andrew; B-T F Van Meter (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $36,000.
Margins: HD, NK, 2HF. Odds: 1.50, 30.40, 2.90.
Also Ran: Oxy Lady, Sold It, Vibrance.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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