Chasing Yesterday, American Pharoah’s half-sister, goes the distance in Starlet

Dec 08, 2018 Kellie Reilly/Brisnet.com

No mare has produced a Triple Crown champion and a Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner, but that factoid may be in jeopardy after American Pharoah’s half-sister, Chasing Yesterday, captured Saturday's $300,345 Starlet (G1) at Los Alamitos. The 3-2 favorite got up in a three-way photo to give Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert and jockey Drayden Van Dyke a Grade 1 double after Improbable dominated the Los Alamitos Futurity (G1).

Chasing Yesterday, a homebred racing for Jane Lyon’s Summer Wind Equine, is by top sire Tapit. Summer Wind bought her dam, Littleprincessemma, for $2.1 million at the 2014 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November Sale. At that time American Pharoah had just been scratched from the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) with an injury. The purchase of Littleprincessemma proved inspired once American Pharoah went on to Triple Crown glory for Baffert in 2015.

Although her famous half-brother lost first time out at Del Mar, Chasing Yesterday ran out a convincing winner in her debut at the seaside track. She shipped to Saratoga for the Spinaway (G1), but didn’t do herself justice in seventh. Rebounding in the Anoakia S. at Santa Anita, Chasing Yesterday scored again in the Desi Arnaz S. at Del Mar, and appeared ready to negotiate the added distance of the 1 1/16-mile Starlet.

It’s a good thing that Chasing Yesterday was looking for more ground because she got it in more ways than one. Drawn on the far outside in post 6, she was hung out wide every step of the way, and raced four wide on both turns. The trip puts her narrow margin in context.

Stablemate Mother Mother carved out the pace and dug in valiantly when challenged. Chasing Yesterday, at the back of the pack early, steadily advanced into contention, and between the Baffert duo, the 30-1 longshot Enaya Alrabb was hanging tough down the lane.

For a few strides, it looked as though the ground loss may have taken its toll on Chasing Yesterday. But instead of yielding, she fought on all the harder and thrust her head in front. She posted a final time of 1:42.59 to collect 10 points toward the Oaks.

Enaya Alrabb, an Uncle Mo filly from the immediate family of 2009 Kentucky Oaks-conquering Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra, earned 4 points in second. Mother Mother, by American Pharoah’s sire Pioneerof the Nile, was awarded 2 points for finishing just a neck away in third. There was a 2 1/2-length margin back to Oxy Lady, who got 1 point in fourth. The disappointment of the race was Vibrance, the third-placer in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) but a lackluster last of six here.

Chasing Yesterday, Baffert’s fifth Starlet winner, sports a mark of 5-4-0-0, $324,250.