Chasing Yesterday, American Pharoah's sis, prevails in Anoakia
Following a tough go in the Grade 1 Spinaway Stakes, Chasing Yesterday, the half-sister to 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, returned to Southern California and fought for her first stakes score in Sunday’s $75,000 Anoakia Stakes at Santa Anita Park.
“There’s a little bit of pressure, yes, when you know who her half-brother is of course,” said owner and breeder Jane Lyons of Summer Wind Equine. “Her name certainly fits from that aspect as well because she’ll always be chasing his history but she’ll make her own as well.”
Chasing Yesterday, named for Lyon’s late husband, dazzled on debut during the Del Mar meet, winning by 4 ¼ lengths, before shipping to Saratoga for the Spinaway. She was off as the favorite, but could do no better than seventh and lost a shoe in the race.
Like her brother, Chasing Yesterday is trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert. While the Spinaway may have been too much too soon, the 2-year-old filly had plenty of time to gear up for the Anoakia, where she faced four other fillies at six furlongs.
“I said ‘I’ll take over from here’ once she got to the wire,” Baffert joked. “I was feeling confident at that point.
“She showed us that she’s a stakes winner now. She just went up in price.”
Chasing Yesterday went off as the 3-5 favorite, this time with Drayden Van Dyke in the irons. Mike Smith was aboard for her first two starts, but rode pacesetting It’sjustanillusion for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer in the Anoakia.
It’sjustanillusion was quick from the gates and opened the first two quarters in 21.49 and 44.72. The rest broke in a close line across the track. While Chasing Yesterday was initially fourth, she gradually made up ground through the race and Van Dyke turned her lose around the turn. It’sjustanillusion proved game as Chasing Yesterday inched closer, but the wire did not come soon enough for the pacesetter.
Chasing Yesterday edged past to win by half a length, hitting the wire in 1:09.86. It’sjustanillusion, Andyoushallreceive, Marrazano and Watch Me Burn were next in line.
“She’s nice. I’ll tell you what, that horse that ran second, It’sjustanillusion, hats off to her, she really made me run,” Van Dyke said. “That horse dug in but my filly dug in too and ran a helluva race.
“That was exciting. I thought I’d go by a little bit easier today but that other horse dug in.”
A homebred for Summer Wind Equine, Chasing Yesterday now has $84,250 in earnings. Summer Wind Equine purchased the dam, Littleprincessemma, for $2.1 million at the 2014 Fasig-Tipton November Sale when she was carrying St Patrick’s Day, a full brother to American Pharoah by Pioneerof the Nile, who is Group 3 placed. Littleprincessemma was bred to Tapit in 2015 and produced Chasing Yesterday the following year.