Kentucky Downs: Pharoah's Wine brings tradition to One Dreamer

Pharoah’s Wine is set to add to a family tradition Thursday when she runs in the $500,000 One Dreamer Stakes at Kentucky Downs.

The One Dreamer will be the 4-year-old American Pharoah filly’s third career start at all-turf Kentucky Downs. She broke her maiden on the course for trainer Dale Romans in 2023 and finished seventh in the Grade 2 Music City last year. Her dam, Sweeping Paddy, broke her maiden at Kentucky Downs in 2012.  

“I’ve trained a lot of good horses out of that family,” Romans said. “She likes that racetrack. She should run well.”

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Pharoah’s Wine finished in a dead heat for second in the $250,000 Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Turf Mile at Ellis Park on Aug 3. Simply In Front, winner of the Ellis Park race by a head, finished second by three-quarters of a length to Ag Bullet in the $2 million Ladies Turf Sprint (G2) on Saturday.  

Pharoah’s Wine is out of Sweeping Paddy, who is a full sister to Cherry Wine, the Preakness runner-up in 2016. She is a homebred by longtime Romans clients William Pacella, Nancy Delony, the late Frank Jones and Frank Shoop.

Romans’ connection to the family goes back to 1999, when he took over the training of Sweeping Story, who went on to win the listed Bourbonette and finish third in the Kentucky Oaks (G1). 

“I think we’ve trained four generations out of that mare,” Romans said. “The whole family can run. The mother liked it down there. We should be all right.”

The 5-2 favorite in the field of nine is the Joe Sharp-trained Vive Veuve, winner of allowance races in good time in her last two starts at Saratoga and Churchill Downs.

The One Dreamer at a mile and 70 yards is for fillies and mares who have not won a stakes in 2025.