American Pharoah

On Mar. 16, Ahmed Zayat asked a federal judge not to grant the trustee in his bankruptcy case extra time that had been requested to scrutinize Zayat's finances so the trustee could make sure the owner and breeder of Triple Crown champ American Pharoah was telling the truth about not being able pay $19 million in debts because he allegedly only had $314.22 to his name. Now, one week later, MGG Investment Group, LP, the lender who is separately suing Zayat and his family members for allegedly obtaining a $24...

Jan Vandebos and her late husband Robert Naify paid a visit to Coolmore on a trip to Ireland several years ago, fueling a desire to seed her high-quality broodmare band with a mare by the world's most dominant stallion. That rendezvous set in motion a chain of events that will see the RanJan Racing-bred Congratulation (American Pharoah), the former 'TDN Rising Star' Monarch of Egypt, take part in one of the world's richest age-restricted events, the HK$24-million (US$ 3.09 million) BMW Hong Kong Derby (NH/SH 4-year-olds only, 2000mT) Sunday afternoon...

It was a stroll in the park for Summer Wind Equine's Triple Tap (Tapit), who was really only asked to run the final 150 yards en route to becoming a new 'TDN Rising Star' Saturday at Santa Anita. The homebred left the outside stall in a scratched-down field of four without incident and was content to take back to sit in second, as the filly Eyes Open (Street Sense) went very easily on the engine through an opening quarter in just :23.31. Triple Tap was camped on the filly's flank...

Four more juveniles breezed in a bullet :9 4/5 and two stopped the clock in :20 4/5 at the final day of the OBS March Breeze Show Saturday. The first :9 4/5 breezer of the day was a Blame filly (Hip 439) out of the unraced Cry Value (Street Cry {Ire}). A $17,000 FTKFEB purchase, she was acquired by King's Equine for $28,000 at Keeneland September. A colt from the first crop of Gormley (Hip 531) stopped the clock in :9 4/5 for consignor Eddie Woods, who purchased him for...

Littleprincessemma (Yankee Gentleman) may not have done much on the racetrack, but she has proven to be quite a blue hen in her broodmare career. All five of her foals to race are winners and four of them are graded stakes performers, topped by her second foal, Triple Crown winner and three-time champion American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile). The mare affectionately known as "Emma" followed American Pharoah with his GISP full-sister American Cleopatra; a GSP full-brother named St. Patrick's Day; his Grade I-winning half-sister Chasing Yesterday (Tapit); and an unraced...

Six racehorses, three trainers and one jockey account for the 10 finalists that will compose the National Museum of Racing's 2021 Hall of Fame ballot, as chosen by the museum's Hall of Fame nominating committee. The finalists are racehorses American Pharoah (first year of eligibility), Blind Luck, Game On Dude, Havre de Grace, Kona Gold and Rags to Riches; trainers Christophe Clement, Doug O'Neill and Todd Pletcher (first year of eligibility); and jockey Corey Nakatani. Ballots will be mailed the first week in March and results of the voting will...

Sometimes you talk to a breeder and know instantly that each and every horse he or she raises is their pride and joy. There might be no better example than Chris Welker. As the co-breeder of 'TDN Rising Star' Travel Column (Frosted), Welker can share dozens of stories of the youngster's time at Spring Ridge Farm. She can tell you about the many frustrating sessions they went through when Travel Column was a hard-headed yearling, but if you bring up the filly's win in last year's GII Golden Rod S.,...

Café Pharoah delivered a first win at the highest level on dirt for his sire, U.S. Horse of the Year and Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, in the G1 February S. going a mile over the Tokyo dirt on Sunday. His three-quarter length victory guaranteed him a spot in the starting gate in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic this fall. Favoured at 2-1, the 4-year-old entire settled in a tracking fifth, as Wide Pharoah (Jpn) (Henny Hughes) and Air Almas (Majestic Warrior) slugged it out on the front end....

Group 1 racing action returns to Japan with Tokyo's G1 February S., a 'Win and You're In' event for the Breeders' Cup Classic, which will be held at Del Mar this fall. Heading the 16-horse field is Café Pharoah (Jpn) (American Pharoah), who aired by 10 lengths in an 1800-meter maiden race at Nakayama in December 2019 before reeling off three consecutive wins, including Tokyo's G3 Unicorn S. (1600m) last June. Favored in the 2000-meter G1 Japan Dirt Derby at NAR-Oi in July, he finished an even seventh over the...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency PRICEY FROSTED FILLY DEBUTS IN NOLA 3rd-FG, $60K, Msw, 3yo, f, 6f, 2:02p.m. CHIONE (Frosted), a $425,000 KEESEP acquisition, makes her career bow in this spot. The gray is a half-sister to Grade I-winning millionaire Hard Aces (Hard Spun) and MSW & GSP Astrollinthepark (Divine Park). TJCIS PPs EXPENSIVE 'PHAROAH' COLT LOOKS TO OPEN ACCOUNT AT FG 5th-FG, $60K, Msw, 3yo, 1 1/16mT, 3:05p.m. Louie Roussel unveils a pricey son of American Pharoah in GLOBAL EMPIRE, a $500,000 KEESEP buy. The chestnut hails from the...

Group 2 winner High Definition (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is doing well in advance of the 2021 Classics, however he is most likely to contest the G1 Epsom Derby instead of the G1 2000 Guineas, his trainer Aidan O'Brien revealed. A winner at The Curragh in August, the bay next took the G2 Beresford S. on Sept. 26 in good style. The decision was made to save him for his 3-year-old year instead of pressing on to juvenile Group 1s. "He's a big, rangy horse with an unbelievably long stride," O'Brien...

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar. Salit (f, 3, American Pharoah--Scherzi, by Brahms) came flying home from far back to complete the trifecta in her promising unveiling over the Gulfstream lawn Sunday (video). Some early trouble and a wide journey around the second turn weren't the only factors working against her that day. "I really think she probably should've won first time out," trainer Ken McPeek said. "She ended up with a cut in...