American Pharoah, the eighth wonder….By Bernard Kenny

Victor Espinoza salutes American Pharoah’s Kentucky Derby victory, the first leg of his 2015 Triple Crown title.

The superlatives just flow for American Pharoah who stands at Coolmore in the Hunter Valley this 2017 breeding season as the first US Triple Crown winner in 37 years, with a 138 Timeform rating.

Termed with such phrases as ‘the horse of a lifetime’….‘the ultimate racing machine’….’the best horse I’ll ever see’….‘one of the greatest racehorses in American history’….’history called and American Pharoah answered’ with The Australian head-lining American Phoaoah as ‘the most exciting stud horse ever sent to Australia.’

Coolmore says American Pharoah is the Eighth Wonder of The World with the American Blood-Horse stating he is ‘an icon; the personification of perfection physically, mechanically, and mentally.’ Now onto his first juveniles in 2019 who will be the off-spring of some 47 Group 1 winners or producers.

Stallions 2017 list American Pharoah officially as Head of the 2015 World Thoroughbred Ratings, Horse of The Year. Champion 3YO Colt and Triple Crown Winner in USA in 2015. Champion 2YO Colt in USA in 2014.

American Pharoah raced only at 2, 3 years winning $8.65million in stakes from nine victories from 11 starts, winning from 1400m to 2000m. In all he won eight Group 1 races, six at three years, with a second to Keen Ice and Frosted in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga.

His final race start was surely his most momentums victory in scoring a 6.5 length victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland of 2000m in a new course record time.

American Pharoah’s Triple Crown victories began with the Kentucky Derby of 2000m at Churchill Downs in defeating Firing Line and Dortmund, a 7 length victory in the Preakness Stakes 1900m over Tale of Verve and 5.5 length defeat of Frosted and Keen Ice in the Belmont Stakes of 2400m.

Also at three years he won the Haskell Invitational Stakes 1800m, Arkansas Derby 1800m by 8 lengths and Rebel Stakes 1700m by 6.25 lengths. As a two-year-old American Pharoah won the Frontrunner Stakes 1700m and Del Mar Futurity 1400m by a combined total of 8 lengths.

American Pharoah is a bay standing 16.1½ hands, and is by Mr Prospector sire line stallion Pioneerof The Nile, by Empire Maker. Pioneerof The Nile won the Santa Anita Derby and Hollywood Futurity and is also the sire of Classic Empire, the Arkansas Derby winner and last year’s Champion 2YO Colt.

Littleprincessemma, his dam by Yankee Gentleman, a son of Storm Cat, is also the dam of the Group 1 placed winner American Cleopatra, by Poineerof The Nile. His stakes winning grand-dam Exclusive Rosette is the dam of Group 2 winning sire Storm Wolf and Group 3 winner Misty Rosette.

European Champion 2YO Colt of 2015 Air Force Blue also shuttles to Coolmore Australia this season as a triple Group 1 winning two-year-old and the highest rated juvenile ever from the Danzig sire line

Air Force Blue received an almost 20 year high 128p Timeform rating, with the exception of Frankel. In winning his principal Group 1 event the Dewhurst Stakes 1400m by 3.25 lengths, his legendary trainer Aidan O’Brien stated that Air Force Blue was the best two-year-old he has ever trained.

Previously Air Force Blue had captured the National Stakes 1400m and Phoenix Stakes 1200m, both at the Curragh, and later ran second in the Coventry Stakes 1200m at Royal Ascot.

Air Force Blue is now rated the best produce of the highly successful War Front, a hansom son of Danzig, who has now sired some 12 Group 1 winners in his 59 stakes winners and $49 million in stakes. Chatham, his Maria’s Mon dam, is a stakes placed winner, from the immediate family of Champion US 2YO Filly Flanders who in-turn foaled Surfside, the Champion American 3YO Filly.

 

 

 

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