American Pharoah

Over the past year, Brent and Crystal Fernung, the owners of Journeyman Stud in Ocala, Florida, have carefully tracked wins from Journeyman first-crop sire Khozan. It's kept them busy. To date, 20 sons and daughters of the son of Distorted Humor have tallied up 26 victories, but the Fernungs are even more excited about the nine black-type runners Khozan has already accounted for, placing him among the top three freshman sires in the country in that particular category. "It's one thing to get winners," said Brent Fernung. "A lot of...

We are all familiar with the flash-in-the-pan stallions who blaze a trail with their first crop of runners only to sink with relatively little trace in ensuing seasons--a situation doubtless exacerbated by fleeting whims of a commercial market. For the sires whose debutants took to the track in 2019, the results achieved were important in regard to continuing or boosting their appeal to breeders booking mares for the 2020 season, but of even more importance is what happens now that their first crops are of the Classic age. When Dubawi...

A half-interest in likely champion 3-year-old male Maximum Security (New Year's Day) has been purchased by Coolmore, according to the colt's owner, Gary West. The story was first reported by Daily Racing Form. West responded to the TDN with a text that read, "I can confirm that Coolmore has purchased a half-interest in both the racing and breeding rights of Maximum Security. There will be no other announcements until Maximum Security is retired." According to Coolmore, there will be no announcement on the part of the farm. According to Dave...

Nice to see that the people who count--the ones who actually spend the dough, that is, as opposed to impudent bystanders who tell them how much better we could do it--don't have time for that glib prejudice against older producers, whether mares or stallions. In making the daughter of a 23-year-old mare the most expensive yearling filly in Keeneland September history, however, they set a far more significant challenge to assumptions that are shared a good deal more widely. In fact, you might say that the $8.2 million paid for...

A total of 552 lots comprise the catalogue of Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale slated for Oct. 8-10, among them an Invincible Spirit (Ire) half-sister (lot 11) to Royal Ascot MG1SW standout Blue Point (Ire) (Shamardal) for Oak Lodge & Springfield House Studs. Star sires Dubawi (Ire) has 29 yearlings offered, while Galileo (Ire) has 23, the latter's son Frankel (GB) has 40 and 41 will go under the hammer by Frankel's barnmate Kingman (GB). Sea The Stars (Ire) (31), Shamardal (8) and Dark Angel (Ire) (30)...

A total of 43 graded events, 18 at Grade I level including the two-day Breeders' Cup World Championships Nov. 1 and 2, comprise the stakes schedule for the Santa Anita fall meet Sept. 27 through Nov. 3. For the first time, a pair of Breeders' Cup 'Win and You're In' qualifiers join the traditional opening-day feature, the $200,000 GII Eddie D. S. The $300,000 GI American Pharoah S. for 2-year-old males and its female counterpart, the $300,000 GI Chandelier S., have been moved up to anchor the opening-day program. "We're...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY - The Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Selected Yearlings Sale opened its two-day run at the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion Monday evening, with a pair of yearlings by Tapit causing the biggest fireworks during a session which produced slight increases in both average and median compared with the auction's 2018 opener. "It was an outstanding opening session of the 2019 Saratoga sale," said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. "I thought we saw very competitive bidding throughout the evening. There was a lot of strength and a lot of diversity in...

5th-Laurel, $40,000, Msw KING OF EGYPT (c, 2, American Pharoah--Prof. McGonagall, by Storm Cat), hailing from a productive turf family and looking to become the seventh winner for his Triple Crown-winning freshman sire (by Pioneerof the Nile), dueled and drew off as a 5-1 shot Thursday. Chasing favored fellow firster Chapalu (Flatter) from the two path with another foe perched to his outside, the bay poked a head in front at the head of the lane and edged clear under confident handling late to prevail by 1 1/4 lengths. "It...

Triple Crown winner American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) exited his work Sunday morning in fine form, according to trainer Bob Baffert. The seven furlong work at Del Mar, which the Zayat homebred completed in 1:23.20, was American Pharoah's final tune up before Saturday's GI Travers S. at Saratoga. "He looks great today," Baffert said Monday. "He was happy and he came out of it really well. He got new shoes today. He's got his new Nikes on, so he's ready. We're getting really excited about it. It's going to be...

Triple Crown hero American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) breezed a half-mile in :47.60 under Martin Garcia at Del Mar Sunday (click here to watch the work). The official fractions were :12.40, :24.60, :35.80 and :59.80 and 1:13.60 on the gallop out. The track, which was closed between 7:45 and 7:55 a.m. for American Pharoah and Pacific Classic runners, had an estimated 800 onlookers in the grandstand. "He went nice; like he always does," trainer Bob Baffert said. "I think this empty track today allowed him to relax some. When he's...

A day after American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) returned home to California, his trainer Bob Baffert said that the colt's next start was still undecided. "I haven't talked to Mr. Zayat about it," said Baffert, negating speculation caused after owner Ahmed Zayat appeared on Steve Byk's radio show Tuesday morning. "We're just waiting to see how the horse is. Of course the Travers is an option if he's doing great. My job is to get the horse ready and to know when he tells me he's ready. We'd love to run...

It was a bit of an unusual scene on the Monmouth Park backside just before 7:00 a.m. as a crowd began to form outside of trainer Kelly Breen's Barn 12. Onlookers leaned around each other and ducked under rails to try and get a glimpse of the great American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) being saddled for his morning gallop. At 7:20 a.m., with 10 minutes to go until the Triple Crown winner was expected to enter the track, the rail and trackside viewing stands were already lined with media and...