American Pharoah

In an exhibition of pure sprinting prowess, Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum's Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) brought all his power to bear on his rivals on Friday to register back-to-back successes in Goodwood's G2 King George Qatar S. Despite the contrasting ground conditions to the easy turf he encountered 12 months ago and the obvious questions posed by defeat in the June 19 G1 King's Stand S. at Royal Ascot, the bay attracted heavy support as the 8-11 favourite and was in front before he had raced two...

At the last two sales at Arqana, October and December, things got a little simpler at the former Haras de la Reboursiere et de Montaigu, or at least for those English-speaking salesgoers looking to remember the name of the popular French consignor. In October, the farm and consignment reverted to its original name and will now be simply known as Haras de Montaigu. Other changes are afoot as well at the century-plus owned family operation. Montaigu, long known for breeding its own and raising and selling for a select group...

The 17th edition of the Claiming Crown, held Saturday at Gulfstream Park, generated total handle of $10,118,000--up 0.57% from 2014 despite rainy conditions which caused four races to be taken off the turf. Gulfstream was hosting the event for the fourth year. "We're extremely pleased with the success of Saturday's Claiming Crown," said P.J. Campo, General Manager of Gulfstream Park and Vice President of Racing for The Stronach Group. "We had big fields and tremendous participation from horsemen throughout North America. We're confident the numbers would have been even more...

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...

Zayat Stables's American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) drew post four in what will be his first start since his historic sweep of the Triple Crown in Sunday's GI Willliam Hill Haskell Invtiational S., which is a "Win and You're In" event for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland Oct. 31. Monmouth Park's oddsmaker Brad Thomas has installed the champion as the 1-5 morning-line favorite in this field of eight. "He's holding his form and that's the whole key after all he's been through," said Hall of Famer Bob Baffert,...

Triple Crown winner American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) took his first spin around the Oceanport oval Thursday morning after the first renovation break around 7:30 a.m. in preparation for Sunday's GI William Hill Haskell Invitational. The bay, who arrived in the Garden State Wednesday afternoon, jogged once around the track the opposite way under a tight hold from regular exercise rider George Alvarez. Although American Pharoah understandably attracted the most attention during his jog, two other contenders were on the track during the designated time for Haskell starters in GIII...

Just minutes before Triple Crown hero American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) arrived at Monmouth Park, the Oceanport, N.J. oval announced a $750,000 purse increase to Sunday's GI William Hill Haskell Invitational S., which was previously worth $1 million. "The Haskell has been called the fourth jewel of the Triple Crown," said Bob Kulina, president of Darby Development LLC, operators of Monmouth Park Racetrack. "With the Derby purse at $2 million and the Preakness and Belmont going to $1.5 million, it's only fitting that we join in that mix for our...

By T.D. Thornton With the only business voted upon at Wednesday's New York Racing Association Reorganization Board of Directors meeting being rubber-stamp unanimous approvals certifying the slate of NYRA officers and the roster of peace officers, the talk among board members touched on topics related to bolstering big days on the circuit and whether or not Triple Crown winner American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) could be incentivized to compete in the GI Travers S. at Saratoga Race Course. "We are trying our best," said NYRA chief executive officer and president...

Canterbury Park in Minnesota has emerged as the latest track to take a stab at wooing Triple Crown champion American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile). According to Eric Halstrom, Canterbury's vice president of racing operations, track management is considering completely overhauling and raising the purse of an existing non-graded stakes race by a factor of 10 to lure America's most sought-after horse. Halstrom said the $200,000 Mystic Lake Derby at one mile on the turf Aug. 29 would be moved to 1 1/8 miles on the dirt for a purse of...

The $2.1 million Jane Lyon spent to purchase Littleprincessemma (Yankee Gentleman), who was in foal to young sire Pioneerof the Nile, at the 2014 Fasig-Tipton November sale may have seemed a little steep at the time. However, it proved to be a steal at 6:53 p.m. June 6 when her son American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) captured the GI Belmont S. and in turn became the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years. "Pioneerof the Nile was still a young stallion, although he had obviously already produced a Grade I...

In the swirling, indefinite haze of which races might be next for Triple Crown champion American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile), the Aug. 2 GI Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park and the Oct. 31 GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland Race Course loom as the most logical, according to tentative plans put forth by the colt's connections in myriad published reports. But the 13-week gap between those two starts remains a wild card, and it could shape up as a prime spot for an outlier track to step up with a...

When Coolmore did the deal to buy the breeding rights to American Pharoah in January, before the Eclipse Awards, they were just hoping they were buying their fifth champion 2-year-old colt in six years to stand at their Kentucky arm, Ashford Stud. They couldn't have bought the sixth anyway; that was the gelding Shared Belief, in 2013. But they stand 2009 champion Lookin At Lucky; 2010 champion Uncle Mo; they stood 2011 champion Hansen for a year before he was sold to South Korea; and they stand 2012 champion Shanghai...