Zayat Stables LLC’s American Pharoah stretched out to two turns to add
another dominating Grade 1 win to his short resume as he wired Saturday’s Grade
1, $300,750
FrontRunner Stakes at
Santa Anita.
The race gave the bay an automatic berth into the
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile
via the “Win & You’re In” Challenge series, and also propelled him into a tie
atop the 2015 Kentucky
Derby leaderboard with 10 points.
“I can’t believe his demeanor, how he’s changed since his first out,” trainer
Bob Baffert said. “He’s so professional. He’s really mentally there. It showed
in the way he worked the other day. (Jockey Joe) Steiner worked him and I asked
him if he’s worked a horse like this in a while. He used to work all my horses.
He said it reminded him of the good ol’ days.
“The horse just has that extra ‘something.’ What a performance. You’re always
hoping for that but you never know what it’s going to be. I was in shock after
his first out and it’s a lot of work by the entire team and it really showed
today.
“The second you see them coming around the far turn the first thing you think
is can he go two turns? Right away that’s what you think and when he opened him
up and pulled away I knew he can go two turns.”
American Pharoah took command early, just as he did in his previous start in
the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity
earlier this month, and set a pressured pace from the inside. The bay rolled
through fractions of :23, :47 1/5 and 1:11 4/5 with Skyway prompting the pace on
the outside as long as he could before eventually fading.
American Pharoah looked comfortable on the lead until Calculator mounted a
challenge around the far turn engaging the leader as the field turned for home,
and looked like he might give the ridgling a run for his money. But jockey
Victor Espinoza had other plans as he asked American Pharoah to show what he had
left in the tank and the star juvenile responded by turning on another gear in
the stretch, widening his margin all the way to the wire.
“All the way he was on a high cruising speed,” Espinoza said. “He has such a
long stride. He moves really nice and is light on his feet. When the other
horse, (Calculator) got close to me, I encouraged my horse a little. He’s a
young so I want to teach him that when he hits the stretch it’s time to go. I
did, and he moved three or four lengths in front. He’s one of the best
two-year-olds right now.”
American Pharoah stopped the teletimer in 1:41 4/5 for the 1 1/16-mile test
over the fast main track. Off as the 1-2 favorite, the bay paid $3 for the 3
1/4-length victory.
Calculator, who was runner-up in the Del Mar Futurity last time out, had to
play second fiddle again as he was 1 1/2 lengths clear of Texas Red in third.
Lord Nelson, Daddy D T, Skyway, Conquest Panthera and Sky Preacher rounded out
the order of finish.
“The horse ran super,” said Peter Miller, trainer of runner-up Calculator.
“I’m really happy with the way he ran. The winner got an easy lead with a slow
pace. He’s not likely to see that in the Breeders’ Cup, so we know we can run
with him, especially if we get a little better pace scenario.”
Asked if the Breeder’s Cup was still in play? “Absolutely, absolutely,”
Miller said.
American Pharoah faded to finish fifth in his racing debut on August 9 at Del
Mar, but bounced back to break his maiden by 4 3/4 lengths in the Del Mar
Futurity on September 3. The son of Pioneerof the Nile banked $180,000 to boost
his bank account to $361,500 from a line of 3-2-0-0.
“He’s different from Pioneerof the Nile,” Baffert added. “Pioneer took a
while to relax. This horse has a lot of brilliance. What I’m noticing is that
he’s putting brilliance into his offspring. I think he gets it from his mother
who was brilliant (Star of Goshen) I think it’s from her. He doesn’t look like
an Empire Maker (his sire), either. There’s something there that is making him
an unbelievable sire.”
American Pharoah is the second registered foal out of the Yankee Gentleman
mare Littleprincessemma, who is herself a daughter of stakes heroine Exclusive
Rosette and a half-sister to Grade 2 victor Storm Wolf and Grade 3 diva Misty
Rosette.
American Pharoah sold for $300,000 as a Fasig-Tipton Saratoga selected
yearling.
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