MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm's Forbidden Kingdom (American Pharoah) ran off from his rivals at the start and never looked back, dominating Santa Anita's GII San Felipe S. Saturday while picking up 50 GI Kentucky Derby points. Last seen besting GISW and next-out Saudi Derby scorer Pinehurst (Twirling Candy) in the seven-furlong GII San Vicente S. here Jan. 29, the even-money faorite out-footed two foes into the first turn and zipped along through splits of :22.66 and :45.90 as Armagnac (Quality Road) gave chase a few lengths behind and very far in front of the rest of them. Forbidden Kingdom's advantage was approaching double digits rounding the home bend, and while for a stride or two there was at least a question of whether Doppelganger (Into Mischief) could possibly reel in his rival, Forbidden Kingdom rode the leader out with just hands and heels to cruise under the line 5 3/4 lengths to the good.
“I was anxious to see this race and see if he would get two turns. He looked even better,” Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella said. “I was a little nervous when I saw the :45 on the board for the first half. He just did what he likes to do. The next step is the [GI Runhappy] Santa Anita Derby next month.”
Hernandez said, “It worked out pretty well. Mr. Mandella had the horse ready. He's really fast. A couple of jumps after we broke, he was in front already. I let him run because if you fight with him he tries to go faster… I let him have fun. I turned him loose and he never stopped, he kept going the whole race. He proved how good he is today.”
A debut winner in fairly fast time at Del Mar last August, Forbidden Kingdom tried a turf dash when third in the local Speakeasy S. in October before returning to the main track to complete the exacta behind highly regarded Messier (Empire Maker) in Del Mar's GIII Bob Hope S. Nov. 14. He earned a strong 92 Beyer Speed Figure when taking the San Vicente off the bench.
“It's unbelievable,” said MyRacehorse founder and CEO Michael Behrens. “We were at the Derby and Breeders' Cup with Authentic [in 2020] and that was amazing. But to have this one and pick this horse as a baby. To go through the whole journey. To watch Mandella see him through his maturation and control his brilliant speed…And to do this today with all of these people, it's a touchdown.”
Saturday, Santa Anita
SAN FELIPE S.-GII, $401,000, Santa Anita, 3-5, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:43.98, ft.
1–FORBIDDEN KINGDOM, 120, c, 3, by American Pharoah
 1st Dam: Just Louise (GSW), by Five Star Day
  2nd Dam: Kings Lynn, by Mt. Livermore
  3rd Dam: Til Forbid, by Temperence Hill
($300,000 Ylg '20 FTKSEL). O-MyRacehorse & Spendthrift Farm
LLC; B-Springhouse Farm (KY); T-Richard E. Mandella; J-Juan J.
Hernandez. $240,000. Lifetime Record: 5-3-1-1, $434,000.
Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*.Â
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Doppelganger, 120, c, 3, Into Mischief–Twice the Lady, by
Quiet American. 'TDN Rising Star' 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST
GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($570,000 Ylg '20 FTKSEL). O-SF Racing
LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Masterson, Robert
E., Schoenfarber, Jay A., Waves Edge Capital LLC, Donovan,
Catherine M., Golconda Stable, Siena Farm LLC; B-WinStar
Farm, LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $80,000.
3–Happy Jack, 120, c, 3, Oxbow–Tapitstry, by Tapit.
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($0 RNA Wlg '19
KEENOV). O/B-Calumet Farm (KY); T-Doug F. O'Neill. $48,000.
Margins: 5 3/4, 4 3/4, 5. Odds: 1.00, 1.70, 26.30.
Also Ran: Beautiful Art, Cabo Spirit, Armagnac, Worse Read Sanchez. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
Pedigree Notes:
Forbidden Kingdom is one of 13 graded/group winners for Triple Crown winner and Horse of the Year American Pharoah, who was represented later on the card by GI Beholder Mile heroine As Time Goes By. Five Star Day is the broodmare sire of five graded/group winners.
Dam Just Louise took the 2010 GIII Debutante S. before selling for $270,000 in 2012 and then to Gabriel Duignan for $150,000 while in foal to Malibu Moon at the 2013 Fasig-Tipton November sale. The half-sister to MGSW Sara Louise (Malibu Moon) has provided a solid ROI for Duignan under his Springhouse Farm banner and through his Paramount Sales consignment–an Orb colt fetched $300,000; a Malibu Moon filly cost $310,000; and, following Forbidden Kingdom, a Bolt d'Oro colt cost $275,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale. Just Louise produced a filly last year by the white hot Not This Time, and most recently visited Tiz the Law.
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