Chasing Yesterday, a Grade 1 winner last year, kicked off her 2019 campaign on March 24 with a 1 1/4-length victory in the $200,000 Sunland Park Oaks (G3) in her first step towards the Kentucky Oaks (G1) on May 3 at Churchill Downs.

Sent off the heavy favorite in the 1 1/16-mile contest, Chasing Yesterday hopped when the gates opened and found herself in last soon after the start. Eager to run, jockey Drayden Van Dyke had no choice but to go five-wide on the first turn, and was still four off the fence as she was contesting for the lead entering the backstretch.

The wide trip continued around the second bend, but Chasing Yesterday forged to the lead before entering the stretch, then continued on to hold her foes at bay until the wire.

"The horse next to her (in the gate) acted up," Baffert said, "and then she started moving. She sort of hopped up at the start, and I started having some really bad nightmares. Thankfully, she's such a good filly that she gathered herself right away.”

Chasing Yesterday has been nearly perfect to this point in her career, winning five of six starts and earning $440,650 for her owner/breeder Summer Wind Equine. The chestnut daughter of Tapit-Littleprincessemma is a half-sister to Baffert's 2015 Triple Crown winner and Horse of the Year American Pharoah.