What's in a Name: Khartoum

There is a lot of African geography in the background of 2-year-old Khartoum (Pioneerof the Nile-Up (Ire), by Galileo {Ire}). Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, is where the Blue Nile (from Lake Tana in Ethiopia) and the White Nile (from Lake Victoria) meet and unite, forming a greater river.

“From there [Khartoum], the Nile continues to flow north towards Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea,” states Wikipedia. The Nile is maybe the longest river in the world (the Amazon has a similar claim) and has always been very important to the agricultures of Sudan and Egypt.

So the name of this brilliant young winner is ingeniously linked to the one of his sire (also noteworthy for his creative spacing, or lack of it). The Egyptian theme was already very much present in the family with another son of mother Up, older brother and group competitor Monarch of Egypt (), who is by-yes, you guessed right-American Pharoah.

1st-Curragh, €12,000, Mdn, 10-11, 2yo, 7fT, 1:31.20, sf. KHARTOUM (c, 2, Pioneerof the Nile–Up {Ire} {MGSW-Ire & G1SP-Fr, $379,468}, by Galileo {Ire}) Sales history: $1,000,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-1, $10,165.
O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Peter M Brant; B-Ran Jan Racing Inc (KY); T-Aidan O'Brien.