Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Chasing Yesterday to Starlet
DEL MAR, Calif. – Chasing Yesterday doesn’t look like American Pharoah, doesn’t move like American Pharoah, and won’t have the same story arc as her older half-brother. But being the younger halfsister to the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years, “she’s royalty,” said her trainer, Bob Baffert.
Her residual value is assured, and she’s doing pretty well on the track, too. She won for the third time in four starts in the Desi Arnaz Stakes here at Del Mar on Monday, and now will shoot for her first graded stakes win in the Grade 1 Starlet at Los Alamitos on Dec. 8, Baffert said.
Baffert trains Chasing Yesterday, a chestnut 2-yearold daughter of Tapit, for the Summer Wind Equine of Jane Lyon. Baffert only has two homebreds currently for Lyon, as she sells most of her stock, but Baffert has two top-class runners in his barn that Lyon bred and were purchased by other clients of Baffert’s.
Lyon is the breeder of Game Winner, the unbeaten winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile who is certain to win the Eclipse Award as champion male 2-year-old, and also bred McKinzie, a top 3-year-old who last raced in the Breeders’ Cup Classic and will remain in training at age 4.
Point Piper claimed, retired
Point Piper, a former stakesclass runner who raced primarily in claiming races this year at age 8, was claimed for $10,000 on Monday at Del Mar by trainer Jonathan Wong in a two-way shake and will be retired to stud, Wong said. Point Piper had been with Jerry Hollendorfer.
“The plan is for him to leave to the farm tomorrow to begin his retirement,” Wong wrote on Twitter.
In a private message, Wong informed that Point Piper was claimed by the Willow Tree Farm of Butch and Lu Thomas. The farm is located in Burson, Calif., about 55 miles southeast of Sacramento.
Point Piper finished fourth in Monday’s sixth race, his 42nd lifetime start. He won five times and finished second 10 times in his career. He did not win a race in 2017 nor 2018, totaling 14 starts. His biggest win came in the 2016 Longacres Mile at Emerald Downs.
The level at which he raced Thursday was the lowest of his career. He raced for $25,000 earlier this year. He earned more than $520,000.
Point Piper is by Giant’s Causeway out of a Sadler’s Wells mare.
In a private message, Wong wrote that the owners “are very excited to have the opportunity to stand him.”
“He’s regally bred and a graded stakes winner,” Wong wrote.
Spawr claims continue to shine
Trainer Bill Spawr has a long history of claiming horses and turning them into stakes winners. Risky Proposition, who won the Let It Ride on Saturday, is the latest addition to a list that includes Exchange, My Sonny Boy, Restage, Sensational Star, and Skye Diamonds.
“I never get tired of it,” Spawr said. “They’re like little kids to me. It’s fun seeing how they mature and develop.”
Spawr said the biggest change with Risky Prosposition since he claimed him during the summer has been “mentally.”
“He was a difficult horse. He was challenging at first,” Spawr said. “He wanted to stop and go when he wanted to, not when the rider commanded.”
Spawr said Risky Prosposition was “in good shape when we got him, we just caught him at the right time.”
He thinks Risky Prospostion can continue to improve. Risky Proposition won going a mile Saturday, “but I think he’ll like something like a mile and a quarter,” Spawr said.
“The farther he goes, the better he’ll be,” Spawr said.
Spawr has one runner in on Friday, the first-time starter Caecilius in race 3, a fivefurlong turf sprint for 2-yearold maidens.
A gelding by Exchange Rate, Caecilius held his own when working with the older stakesclass sprinter Calculator in a gate drill on the dirt Sunday morning when he was timed going 48.40 seconds for a halfmile.
◗ Jockey Kent Desormeaux was fined $300 by Del Mar’s stewards for misuse of the whip when winning the second race Sunday. He was cited for illegally hitting his mount, Dancing Belle, between the ears in deep stretch.