Past Ages Catches Very Personably to Win Champion Stakes Race

Past Ages raced to an easy 5-length victory in the $142,150 California Breeders’ Champion Stakes at Santa Anita Sunday before a crowd of 44,557.

Past Ages is one of the four sons of Flying Paster, who won the same race in 1978.

Ridden by Eddie Delahoussaye, Past Ages easily caught the pace-setting Very Personably as they turned into the stretch, and then finished strong. He was timed in 1:20 4/5 for the 7 furlongs to equal the stakes record set by Jacklin Klugman in 1979.

The winner was sent off at slightly less than even money to pay $3.80, $3.40 and $2.40. Very Personably paid $9 and $5.20 and the late-closing Flying Continental returned $3 to show.

It was Past Ages’ first stakes victory. But the horse has shown his ability by placing in two stakes, including a close finish to the undefeated King Glorious in the Hollywood Preview last November.

The victory brought $85,900 to the Ridder Thoroughbred Stable of Mrs. Georgia Ridder, whose husband, the late Bernard Ridder, bred Past Ages along with three other sons of his noted stallion.