Kentucky Derby 2015 - American Pharoah Pedigree Profile
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Now that
American Pharoah is back in action after a hoof injury, let’s take a look at
the 2014 Champion Two-Year-Old Colt’s Kentucky
Derby 2015 potential.
After
dueling early in his maiden debut at Dal Mar, American Pharoah weakened to
finish fifth, ten lengths behind the impressive Om. In hindsight, the 6 ½ furlong race contained a
strong field, including eventual Sham Stakes (G-2) hero Calculator, Daddy D T,
who would capture the Oak
Tree Juvenile Turf in his next start, plus Iron Fist, who would finish third
behind American Pharoah in their next start, the Del Mar Futurity (G-1). American Pharoah was the first maiden since
River Special in 1992 to capture the Del Mar
Futurity. In his final start as a
two year old, American Pharoah proved himself around
two turns and earned a 3 ¼ length front-running victory in the 1 1/16 mile FrontRunner
Stakes (G-1) over his stablemate, recent San Vicente Stakes (G-2) winner
Lord Nelson. Calculator, eventual
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile hero Texas Red, and the aforementioned Daddy D T. also
finished behind American Pharoah.
AMERICAN PHAROAH (Pioneerof the Nile - Littleprincessemma, by Yankee
Gentleman) was bred by Zayat Stables. The colt was sent to the 2013 Fasig
Tipton August Yearling Sale, but was bought back for $300,000. Sent to top California trainer Bob Baffert, the
lightly raced son of Pioneerof the Nile has accumulated a 3-2-0-0 ($249,571) race record, including two Grade
One Stakes victories.
Sire:
Pioneerof
the Nile was campaigned throughout his ten race career by Zayat Stables and Bob
Baffert. The dark bay son of Belmont
Stakes winner Empire Maker won in his second start in late August as a two year
old. His juvenile season was fairly unremarkable. He flashed talent in the
Lanes' End Breeders' Futurity, but it wasn't until December when the
late-developing colt put it all together.
He gathered a four race win-streak, sweeping the Cash Call Futurity,
Robert B. Lewis Stakes, San Felipe, and Santa Anita Derby. Pioneerof The Nile put in a strong effort in
the Kentucky Derby, handing the Zayat’s the first of their three second-place
finishes in the Classic race. After a
discouraging eleventh place finish in the Preakness Stakes, the colt was given
a rest. While preparing for a fall campaign, he sustained a soft tissue injury
to his left foreleg and was retired.
Pioneerof
the Nile is the first son of Empire Maker to stand at stud. Empire Maker's
daughters have been more accomplished than his sons on the track, but the sons
of the Belmont Stakes winner could prove to be good sources of stamina in the
breeding shed. Especially considering that Empire Maker is a son of Kentucky
Derby winning sire of sires, Unbridled. Pioneerof the Nile's dam Star of Goshen
won up to a mile on the dirt, including the La Troienne Stakes. She won/placed
in four of her five starts. As a broodmare, she foaled Pioneerof the Nile's
older brother, the multiple graded stakes placed Forefathers. Pioneerof the
Nile's damsire Lord At War was a Champion Miler in Argentina. He's an excellent
broodmare sire and was one of the top 50 broodmare sires for three years
straight in the US.
Pioneerof
The Nile has seen his stud fee jump from $15,000 to $60,000 in just four years.
In only three crops of racing age, the young stallion has sired a champion, 13
stakes winners (6 graded) and 9 stakes placed runners. His notable offspring
include Holy Bull winner Cairo Prince, Del Mar Derby hero Midnight Storm and Preakness
third place finisher Social Inclusion. So far, Pioneerof The Nile’s stakes
winning offspring have proven themselves up to 1 1/8 miles. He does have one
winner at 1 ¼ miles, Athens, a Group 2 winner in India. I expect with time, the young stallion will
get some winners at Classic distances when bred to stamina oriented mares.
PIONEEROF
THE NILE (Empire Maker - Star of Goshen, by Lord At War (ARG))
Career
highlights:
1st - CashCall Futurity (G-1) 1
1/16 miles
1st - Santa Anita Derby (G-1) 1
1/8 miles
1st - Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G-2)
1 1/16 miles
1st - San Felipe Stakes (G-2) 1
1/16 miles
2nd – Kentucky Derby (G-1) 1 ¼ miles
3rd - Lane's End Breeders'
Futurity (G-1) 1 1/16 miles
Female Family:
American Pharoah’s dam Littleprincessemma
was unplaced in two maiden dirt sprints.
Heis only the second
foal out of his dam. Xixixi, (Maimonides) her first foal, has finished in the money in five of eleven starts. Littleprincessemma was barren in 2013, but bore a full sister to American
Pharoah last year.
Littleprincessemma’s dam Exclusive
Rosette hit the board 6 of 17 times, including a state bred sprint stakes win.
She bore 12 foals, nine starters, seven winners, including the Grade 2 winner
Storm Wolf (by Stormin Fever)
and his Grade 3 winning full sister Misty Rosette, who also placed in the Test
Stakes (G-1). Exclusive Rosette is the
grand-dam of stakes placed Red Raffles (by Bold N Flashy). The third dam Zetta
Jett and fourth dam Queen Zetta own no blacktype and other than Exclusive
Rosette, bore no other blacktype runners. There are no blue hens in this female family.
Damsire:
The son of Storm Cat started his stud career in Kentucky, and is currently standing in Louisiana. With nine crops of foals on the track Yankee Gentleman is a young broodmare sire. His daughters bore 63 foals, 21 of whom have made it to the track. 11 of those are
winners and four have earned blacktype. Yankee Gentleman’s offspring are
sprinter/milers and he is passing speed attributes to his daughters’ progeny.
American Pharoah’s second damsire
Ecliptical (Exclusive Native - Minnetonka, by Chieftain) hit the board twice in
his ten race career at the allowance/claiming class level. His offspring and that of his daughters are speed oriented.
Outlook:
Up close, American Pharoah’s pedigree has middle distance over speed attributes. So far, his sire’s stakes offspring are successful up to 1 1/8 miles, but few have had the opportunity to tackle 1 ¼ miles. American Pharoah’s first two distaff generations are filled with speed. In recent years, we’ve seen colts with borderline pedigrees handle 1 ¼ miles,
however, their training and running style assisted in their getting the
distance. Plus, they all had that special, undefinable “something” that cannot be bred into a horse, merely hoped for.
American Pharoah’s pedigree is
borderline for 1 ¼ miles and his forwardly placed running style isn’t in his
favor for reserving energy to get the distance. However, in his favor is a master trainer who is accustomed to visiting Kentucky every year in May with a classic contender or two. Quite possibly, American Pharoah will show that special talent and out-run his pedigree.
We horseplayers like to make
connections between the leading horses of yesteryear and today’s competitors. In
this case, I’m reminded slightly of the two-time Eclipse Award Champ Lookin at
Lucky. In the last 14 years, only Lookin at Lucky has exited the Del Mar Futurity and Frontrunner Stakes and had an impact on the Triple Crown races. He too
had a borderline pedigree of 1 ¼ miles, but the champion did handle the 1 3/16
miles of the Preakness Stakes. He was also conditioned by Bob Baffert. But that’s where this comparison ends. Lookin at Lucky was a far more accomplished juvenile than American Pharoah.
Over the past several years, the Two
Year Old Champions have come up short in distance and talent or have succumbed
to injury before the Kentucky Derby. With only two stakes races under his girth
since last September, the talented, speedy American Pharoah has many questions
to answer before we should declare him as a serious contender for the roses in
May. American Pharoah may be pointed towards the San Felipe Stakes March 7.
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