Santa Maria S. (G2) — Race 2 (4:30 p.m. ET)
As Times Goes By, who dominated last month’s Santa Margarita (G2), will look to do it again in Saturday’s $200,000 Santa Maria S. (G2) at Santa Anita over 1 1/16 miles.
A regally-bred daughter of American Pharoah and Take Charge Lady, As Time Goes By led throughout in the nine-furlong Santa Margarita, extending her advantage to more than nine lengths at the wire. It was the first stakes victory for the Coolmore-owned and Bob Baffert-trained four-year-old, who had run second to champion Swiss Skydiver in her stakes debut, the Beholder Mile (G1), back in March.
Fresh off a win in last week’s Preakness (G1), trainer Michael McCarthy will send out main challenger Ce Ce. A dual Grade 1 winner last season, the five-year-old will look to improve on her third-place run in last year’s Santa Maria. Ce Ce enters off a season-opening allowance win over Miss Stormy D going seven furlongs.
Also among a field of five is the distant Santa Margarita runner-up This Tea.
Honeymoon S. (G3) — Race 7 (7:00 p.m. ET)
The $100,000 Honeymoon S. (G3), for three-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles on the turf, will also have a heavy favorite in Going Global, the Phil D’Amato-trained Irish import who’s won all three of her U.S. appearances this season in the Sweet Life (G3), China Doll S., and Providencia (G3).
Going Global passed on the one-mile Senorita (G3) earlier this month, which was won by Madone by a length over Golden, who was demoted to sixth after causing interference.
“I gave her a bit of a freshening after three stakes wins in a row so I could have her ready for this race going into Del Mar,” D’Amato said of Going Global.
Also lining up are the stakes-winning Quattroelle and Pizzazz.
