american pharoah | Horse Racing Free Tips

American Pharoah Colt Takes No Prisoners in San Felipe

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*.
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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Forbidden Kingdom Gets the Acid Test in San Felipe

Two for three in one-turn tests on the main track, MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm's Forbidden Kingdom (American Pharoah) tries a distance of ground as the narrow 8-5 morning-line favorite for Saturday's GII San Felipe S. at Santa Anita.

A $300,000 graduate of the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearling Showcase, the chestnut wired a field of Del Mar maidens on debut going 5 1/2 furlongs Aug. 21, but failed to transfer that form to the grass when third–albeit with some trouble–in the Oct. 1 Speakeasy S. at this venue. A pacesetting second behind 'TDN Rising Star' and future GIII Robert B. Lewis S. romper Messier (Empire Maker) in the GIII Bob Hope S. at the seaside oval in November, Forbidden Kingdom accounted for next-out G3 Saudi Derby hero Pinehurst (Twirling Candy) when last seen in the GII San Vicente S. Jan. 29.

Produced by a Grade III-winning juvenile, Forbidden Kingdom is out of a half-sister to Sara Louise (Five Star Day), twice a graded winner at a one-turn mile and whose daughter Sara Street (Street Sense)–also by a GI Kentucky Derby winner–stayed nine furlongs well enough to go close in the nine-furlong GII Gazelle S.

A 3 1/2-length debut winner in a six-furlong maiden at Los Alamitos Dec. 11, 'TDN Rising Star' Doppelganger (Into Mischief) was the 9-10 chalk for the San Vicente, but raced wide on the track and never landed a serious blow, finishing fourth. Acquired for $570,000 at the same sale as Forbidden Kingdom, the April foal is bred on the Into Mischief cross over Fappiano-line sires that has resulted in Grade I winners Mandaloun, Covfefe and other two-turn graded winners Private Mission, Largent and Maximus Mischief. Bob Baffert has saddled eight winners of the San Felipe, including Into Mischief sons Authentic and Life Is Good the last two years.

The commonly owned Armagnac (Quality Road), a $210,000 KEESEP purchase, holds the distinction of being the only member of this septet with a victory going two turns on the main track, having graduated by 2 1/4 front-running lengths over this track and distance Jan. 21. He was previously third to his stablemate Wharton (Candy Ride {Arg}) sprinting on New Year's Eve debut.

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First Captain First, Triple Tap Third in Returns

A pair of highly touted sophomores returned to make their 4-year-old debuts with mixed results Sunday. First Captain (Curlin), sent off the 4-5 favorite in a seven-furlong allowance at Gulfstream Sunday, looked to have left himself too much to do before making a furious late rally to win by a head in his first start since finishing third in the Curlin S. last summer. The 'TDN Rising Star' and $1.5-million Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling won last year's GIII Dwyer S. for West Point Thoroughbreds, Siena Farm, Bobby Flay and Woodford Racing and trainer Shug McGaughey.

Less successful on return was Summer Wind Equine's homebred Triple Tap (Tapit), a half-brother to Triple Crown winner American Pharoah who was making his first start since finishing fourth in the Dec. 26 GI Malibu S. in a seven-furlong optional claimer at Santa Anita. The 1-5 favorite, facing just three rivals, chased pacesetting Fore Left (Twirling Candy), but was hemmed in by Dark Vadar (Tale of Ekati) for much of the stretch. Finally finding clear sailing, Triple Tap made late progress, but could do no better than third as Dark Vadar nipped Fore Left for the win.

Triple Tap, tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' following his debut win at Santa Anita last March, added a Nov. 5 optional claimer at Del Mar before suffering his first loss when well-beaten behind Flightline (Tapit) in the Malibu.

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‘Pharoah’ Doubles Up in February S.

Café Pharoah (American Pharoah) returned to the winner's circle for the first time since landing the 2021 G1 February S. in the 2022 version, and became the second horse to win two editions after Copany Rickey (Jpn) (Gold Allure {Jpn}) in 2014/15. A “Win And You're In” for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic in November, the 1600-metre race saw the Noryuki Hori-trained runner draw off by 2 ½ lengths from T M South Dan (Jpn) (South Vigorous), with the popular white filly Sodashi (Jpn) (Kurofune) ran third, another half-length back.

In touch with the first flight as Sunrise Hope (Jpn) (Majestic Warrior) cleared the field, the 4-1 shot perched in between horses in fifth. The bay edged closer to the vanguard once Yuichi Fukunaga relaxed his hold as T M South Dan took over pacesetting duties from Sunrise Hope and hit the half-mile pole in :46.80. Sunrise Hope began a gradual retreat and Sodashi had dead aim on T M South Dan. Surging three deep, Café Pharoah began to let down strongly as Sodashi tired at the quarter pole, and took over the lead from T M South Dan with 200 metres to travel. He maintained the advantage all the way to the line, covering the 1600 metres in a snappy 1:33.80 in the mud, tying the track record.

“Mr. Hori and I went over the tactics before the race and everything went as planned,” said pilot Yuichi Fukunaga, who was returning from an injury sustained during the Longines Hong Kong International Races. “Cafe Pharoah's start wasn't that sharp but he recovered well and we were able to sit in a good position, in third, where he didn't have to bear too much sand in his face, which was what I was hoping for. After that I just tried to keep him focused especially after taking over the lead in the final stages. I'm grateful to the connections who offered me this ride even before I had fully recovered from the fall in Hong Kong and am happy that I was able to do a good job.”

Knocked down for $475,000 to Narvick International, agent, after breezing a quarter in :21.1 at the OBS March Sale in 2019, the 5-year-old entire won his first three starts at two and three, with stakes victories in the Listed Hyacinth S. and G3 Unicorn S. Later that year, he added the G3 Sirius S. and, after a sixth-place run in the G1 Champions Cup in December fo 2020, put it all together in the 2021 February S. The Paul Pompa, Jr.-bred bay was off the board in his next three starts, among them the Champions Cup at Chukyo on Dec. 5 when last seen.

Pedigree Notes
One of three Grade/Group 1 winners for his American Triple Crown-winning sire, Café Pharoah is also the first of the trio to win twice at the highest level. Of the Coolmore Ashford resident's 24 stakes winners, 13 have been grade/group winners.

Since his February S. win last year, Café Pharoah's year-older half-sister Regal Glory (Animal Kingdom) became a Grade I winner herself with an 2 1/2-length win in the GI Matriarch S. at Del Mar in the colours of Peter Brant's White Birch Farm. Also a winner of four other graded stakes including Saratoga's GII Lake Placid S. over her career, she had sold for $975,000 out of the Paul Pompa, Jr. Dispersal at Keeneland January in 2021, while their dam, Mary's Follies had been knocked down to BBA Ireland on a bid of $500,000 at the same sale. The first foal out of the dam was the GIII Dania Beach S. and GIII Transylvania S. hero Night Prowler (Giant's Causeway). Mary's Follies's 4-year-old colt by Uncle Mo died, while she also has a 3-year-old colt by Candy Ride (Arg) and a juvenile colt by Connect. She aborted after being bred to Curlin in 2020, and re-visited Coolmore Ashford's American Pharoah last spring.

Sunday, Tokyo, Japan
FEBRUARY S.-G1, ¥232,980,000, Tokyo, 2-20, 4yo/up, 1600m, 1:33.80, my.
1–CAFE PHAROAH, 126, h, 5, by American Pharoah
                1st Dam: Mary's Follies (MGSW-US, $338,889),
                                by More Than Ready
                2nd Dam: Catch the Queen, by Miswaki
                3rd Dam: Wave to the Queen, by Wavering Monarch
($475,000 2yo '19 OBSMAR). O-Koichi Nishikawa; B-Paul P.
Pompa (KY); T-Noryuki Hori; J-Yuichi Fukunaga. ¥123,486,000.
Lifetime Record: 11-6-0-0. *1/2 to Night Prowler (Giant's
Causeway), MGSW-US, $475,682; and Regal Glory (Animal
Kingdom), GISW-US, $1,529,884. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click
   for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–T M South Dan (Jpn), 126, h, 5, South Vigorous–Moving Out
(Jpn), by Langfuhr. 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. (¥17,280,000
Ylg '18 JBBAAUG). O-Masatsugu Takezono; B-Grand Farm
(Jpn); ¥48,996,000.
3–Sodashi (Jpn), 121, f, 4, Kurofune–Buchiko (Jpn), by King
Kamehameha (Jpn). O-Makoto Kaneko Holdings; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); ¥30,498,000.
Margins: 2HF, HF, NK. Odds: 4.10, 7.90, 7.20.
Also Ran: Soliste Thunder (Jpn), Time Flyer (Jpn), Red le Zele (Jpn), Arctos (Jpn), Sunrise Nova (Jpn), Air Spinel (Jpn), Mutually (Jpn), Inti (Jpn), Sunrise Hope (Jpn), Suave Aramis (Jpn), Teorema (Jpn), Daiwa Cagney (Jpn), K T Brave (Jpn).
Click for the JRA chart & video or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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