american pharoah | Horse Racing Free Tips

Saturday’s Insights: American Pharoah Filly Arrives at Aqueduct

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency

1st-AQU, $80K, Msw, 3yo, f, 6 1/2f, 1:20 p.m.

WITH BELLS ON (American Pharoah) starts her career for owners Bass Stables LLC and Cheyenne Stables after realizing $300,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The dam, a juvenile stakes winner on the turf by Giant's Causeway, has already produced two winners on the dirt including Princess Mo (Uncle Mo). Second dam Marylebone (Unbridled's Song) was also a stakes winning juvenile, taking the GI Matron S. Trainer Todd Pletcher is 11-36 over the last five years with 3-year-old first-time starters on the dirt at Aqueduct and looks to add to that tally here. TJCIS PPs

MILLION-DOLLAR YEARLING FILLY DEBUTS AT TAMPA

6th-TAM, $40K, Msw, 3yo, f, 6f, 2:44 p.m.

When the hammer finally dropped at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, GINA ROMANTICA (Into Mischief) left the ring for a final bid of $1,025,000, another million-dollar feather in her sire's cap. The filly makes her career debut here for owner Peter Brant and trainer Chad Brown after several quick works at Payson Park, including her most recent Mar. 6 where she went four furlongs in :49 4/5 to be the third-fastest of 33 at the distance. Gina Romantica is out of the prolific broodmare Special Me (Unbridled's Song) who, though not a winner herself, has produced the likes of MGSW Stonetastic (Mizzen Mast), MGSW Special Forces (Candy Ride) and MGSW and Lane's End stallion Gift Box (Twirling Candy). She picks up Irad Ortiz for the ride. TJCIS PPs

INTO MISCHIEF COLT TAKES ON THE TURF

6th-GP, $60K, Msw, 3yo, 7 1/2fT, 3:01 p.m.

Bred by Hare Forest Farm, WATASHA (Into Mischief) tries the turf for the first time for trainer Chad Brown. The bay colt realized a final bid of $450,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and returns off an eight-month layoff since making his only start as a juvenile, a distant fifth-place effort on the dirt July 24 at Saratoga. Watasha will seek to be the seventh winner out of the Elusive Quality mare Alwaan. He adds Lasix for the first time here, stretches out the extra furlong and a half, and gets Tyler Gaffalione aboard. TJCIS PPs

SPEEDY LORD NELSON COLT REACHES DEBUT

9th-GP, $60K, Msw, 3yo, 6f, 4:38 p.m.

From the first crop of recently deceased stallion Lord Nelson, CAPE TRAFALGAR (Lord Nelson) makes his first start at Gulfstream Park for owner Peachtree Stable. Bred by Spendthrift Farm LLC, the colt brought $325,000 at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Sale, the second highest price paid for a Lord Nelson yearling that year. Cape Trafalgar is out of Goldrush Girl (Political Force), who placed second in the GII Golden Rod S. Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., he comes into this race off a bullet drill Mar. 5 where he worked five furlongs in :59 to be the best of 31 at the distance. TJCIS PPs

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Notable US-Breds in Japan: Mar. 12-13, 2022

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Chukyo Racecourse. Sunday's G2 Kinko Sho at Chukyo pits the Group 1-winning 5-year-old mares Lei Papale (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and Akai Ito (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) against the likes of Potager (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn} x Ginger Punch) and the veteran Gibeon (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn} x Contested):

Saturday, March 12, 2022
3rd-CKO, ¥9,900,000 ($85k), Maiden, 3yo, 1400mT
ENTRY CODE (f, 3, Point of Entry–Indian Valley, by Cherokee Run) is a half-sister to MGSP Splashy Kisses (Blame) and is out of a winning half-sister to SW Chhaya Dance (A.P. Indy) and to the three-time graded-placed Convocation (Pulpit). The filly's third dam Colour Chart (Mr. Prospector), three times a winner at group level in France and placed in no fewer than three Grade Is in this country, was responsible for Eclipse Award-winning juvenile filly Tempera (A.P. Indy) and MGSW/G1SP Equerry (St. Jovite). Point of Entry is the sire of eight winners from eight Japanese runners, including MGSW Lotus Land. B-Winchester Farm (KY)

6th-CKO, ¥14,250,000 ($123k), Allowance, 3yo, 1800m
BAHIR DAR (c, 3, American Pharoah–Llanarmon, by Sky Mesa) has yet to run a bad one in three starts to date, having finished second in his first two appearances at Hanshin late last year before breaking through with a facile maiden victory at Kokura Jan. 29. Shadai Corporation privately acquired the late April foal's dam, winner of the 2013 GII Natalma S., in 2018 and she was covered in Kentucky by Mendelssohn before her export to Japan. She produced a filly by the latter in 2020. B-Shadai Corporation (KY)

Sunday, March 13, 2022
2nd-CKO, ¥9,900,000 ($85k), Maiden, 3yo, 1800m
CORDON ROUGE (f, 3, American Pharoah–Champagne Room, by Broken Vow) is the first foal for her dam, the 2016 champion 2-year-old filly and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies heroine who produced this filly Feb. 24, was covered by Justify and sent off to Japan. Champagne Room, who dropped a colt by the Triple Crown winner at Northern Farm Mar. 14, 2020, is a daughter of Lucky To Be Me (Bernstein), who was purchased by Katsumi Yoshida for $1.25 million at Keeneland November in 2017 before going on to produce GSP Fidele (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}). Lucky To Be Me passed away in 2021. American Pharoah has sired 75% winners to starters in Japan (21/28). B-Northern Farm (KY)

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TDN Snippets: Week of Feb. 28-Mar. 6

It was a jam packed weekend of action from coast to coast. Here's a small, bite-sized sample of its impact on the bloodstock world.

All The Time…

Few sires are hotter right now than Taylor Made's Not This Time, who has the fewest crops of any of the top 10 sires on the 2022 general sire list. In addition to his one-two finish by Simplification and In Due Time in the Fountain of Youth, his Epicenter is also on the GI Kentucky Derby trail.

McGrath's Seal Of Approval…

Not This Time's 17 black-type winners include six graded winners and his sustained success recently prompted Chris McGrath to name Not This Time possibly Giant's Causeway's “principal American successor.”

No One Said It Was Easy…

Morello, who won the GIII Gotham S. Saturday, was the third-priciest Classic Empire 2-year-old sold at last year's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale when he brought $250,000, but is out of a mare who once RNA'd for $1,500. Stop the Wedding eventually sold in 2020 at Keeneland January for $11,000 to Robert Tillyer–co-breeder of Morello–while in foal to Cairo Prince. Her offspring at the sales have been all over the place, with some RNA'ing for the low four figures, and another bringing $525,000 as a juvenile.

Not Just California Dreamin'

Although the top three money earners for Union Rags, standing for $30,000 this year, have all excelled in California–Saturday's GI Santa Anita H. victor Express Train, Paradise Woods, and Catalina Cruiser–the Lane's End sire is by no means a one-trick pony. He's had a Grade I-winning 2-year-old colt, as well as two Grade I-winning 2-year-old fillies, a Grade I-winning 3-year-old filly, and now a Grade I-winning older horse. He's had graded winners on dirt and turf, short and long. Along the way, he's accumulated 13 graded winners among his 23 black-type winners.

Brilliant Racehorse, Brilliant Sire…

“It's a great day for Pharoah horses. American Pharoah has meant so much to racing.” — Bob Baffert

American Pharoah has four graded stakes winners on dirt in North America this year, topping TDN's General Sire List by that metric. He's more than the real deal.

Lev Miller Picks Up A Gem…

GII Davona Dale S. heroine Kathleen O. (Upstart) is the first foal out of Quaver, who has been a frequent visitor to Tapwrit in recent years, resulting in a 2-year-old colt named Tap Collector (a $65,000 OBS yearling purchased by PJ Campanella) and a yearling filly. Gainesway, Bridlewood, and the Tapwrit syndicate had bought Quaver with Kathleen O. in utero for $90,000 at the 2019 Keeneland January sale, then resold her at last year's Keeneland November sale in foal to Tapwrit for $140,000 to Lev Miller.

Rising Star Update For Yeguada Centurion…

Taiba, a $140,000 Fasig-Tipton October yearling turned last year's Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream second topper at $1.7 million, became the fourth 'TDN Rising Star' for Gun Runner. Interestingly, his dam, Needmore Flattery (Flatter), racked up more than $730,000 having never earned better than a 75 Beyer Speed Figure while competing mostly in Ohio-bred company. Needmore sold to Leopoldo Fernandez Pujals's Yeguada Centurion for $195,000 at Keeneland November in 2019 before being exported to France and foaling a filly by Uncle Mo.

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The Week in Review: Shift to New York a Curious Move on Prat’s Part

Flavien Prat is in the right place at the right time in Southern California. Young and gifted, he dominates the circuit in a way no jockey has in years. He picked up his 60th win of the meet Saturday, 25 more than runner-up Juan Hernandez. He won three stakes on the card, giving him 15 for the meet. And he rides for just about all the top barns on the circuit, most notably Bob Baffert.

It's far, far from broke, but Prat is intent on fixing it. On Saturday, he told Jay Privman of the Daily Racing Form that he plans to ride the Keeneland meeting in April and then will move to Belmont Park. Belmont opens Apr. 28.

Prat told Privman that he thought riding in New York would give him as better shot of a winning an Eclipse Award. He was an Eclipse finalist in 2021, but lost out to Joel Rosario.

“It feels like if you want to give yourself a chance to get an Eclipse Award that you need to go to New York,” he said. “That's just the way it is. I never thought I'd leave here, to be honest.”

It's not that Prat isn't good enough to ride in New York. Far from it. The problem for him will be that he will have to find a way to stand out in what is the most crowded jockey colony in the country. There's Jose Ortiz, Irad Ortiz Jr., Luis Saez and Rosario. John Velazquez, who has been riding in California, will be back. Umberto Rispoli has also announced that he, too, will be making the shift from California to New York.

The competition Prat will face in New York will be fierce, hardly the case in California, where the jockey colony has never been weaker. That's a big part of the reason Prat has been so successful in California…he's just a lot better than everyone else. The question is, how much has that played into his dominance there?

Prat will no doubt enjoy some success in New York. The key will be breaking into the top barns. He's won 13 races and 10 stakes for Chad Brown. He's had four winners over the years for Todd Pletcher. He won the 2019 GI Kentucky Derby via disqualification on Country House (Lookin at Lucky) for Bill Mott. That suggests that those trainers may give him a chance, but there's no way he can move into any of the top stables, push aside the regular New York riders and take over.

He will be in the top five in the standings in New York and maybe better. But there is no chance that he will dominate that circuit like he does in California. So is it better to be the fourth leading rider in New York or the No. 1 rider in California? One would think that the answer is the latter. Prat obviously disagrees.

Richard Mandella is Derby Bound

Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella has not started a horse in the Kentucky Derby since 2004. He's had five runners in the Derby over all and none have finished better than fifth. Neither of which is that surprising. Mandella is one of only a few top trainers that does not put a big emphasis on winning the Derby or other 3-year-old stakes. He likes to bring horses along slowly and many of his best runners have been four or older.

But that may be about to change.

Having never raced beyond seven furlongs, Forbidden Kingdom (American Pharoah) had some questions to answer in Saturday's 1 1/16-miles GII San Felipe S. at Santa Anita. He answered them all and did so with authority, winning by 5 3/4 lengths. He may not be as talented as Life Is Good (Into Mischief), but he wins his races the same way. Forbidden Kingdom rockets out of the gate, runs away from the competition and has more than enough stamina to complete the job.

That may not be so easy to do at 1 1/4 miles, but Mandella is the perfect trainer to get the horse to relax and stretch his speed out another furlong and a half.

A win in the GI Santa Anita Derby and/or the Kentucky Derby would be huge for the sire, American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile). While he's gotten off to a good start as a sire, he still hasn't had that Grade I star dirt horse to put on his resume. With Forbidden Kingdom, that may about to change.

It's Ladies Day at the Hall of Fame

The nominations for the next class of the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame came out last week and five of the six horses nominated were fillies. The sixth was a gelding.

That's something we might all have to get used to. Unless they are a gelding, you can't expect to get more than eight or nine career starts anymore out of a male horse who has the talent to be a Hall of Famer. They'll likely end their careers after their 3-year-old year and go stand at stud, not enough time to put together a career that includes enough starts and wins to be considered Hall of Fame worthy.

But most top fillies race, at least, until they are four. The two no-brainers on the Hall of Fame ballot are Beholder (Henny Hughes) and Tepin (Bernstein). Beholder ran 26 times and raced at six. Tepin raced 23 times and raced at five.

Since Curlin was inducted in 2014, Triple Crown winner American Pharoah is the only modern era, non-gelding male to get into the Hall of Fame. Whether or not a horse with a short campaign can make it into the Hall of Fame will be put to the test when Justify (Scat Daddy) becomes eligible. He raced only six times, but is, of course, a Triple Crown winner. All other Triple Crown winners are in the Hall of Fame. Justify will be eligible in 2024.

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