International double for American Pharoah
Champion Freshman Sire in North America last year, American Pharoah’s (USA) success continued on Saturday when he scored a cross-world double over the span of 10 hours.
Danon Pharoah (Jpn) kicked off the first leg of the double when he won his second start in Japan by an easy 4l over 1800 metres. The 3-year-old colt from US Grade 1 winner Crisp (USA) (El Corredor {USA}) has won two of his four starts to-date and was nominated for the US Triple Crown last month.
The colt is well-bred, coming from the family of Equal Change (USA) (Arts And Letters {USA}), who is the matriarch of a family that also includes US Grade 1 winners Stay Thirsty (USA) (Bernardini {USA}), Whywhywhy (USA) (Mr. Greeley {USA}), and Tamarkuz (USA) (Speightstown {USA}) in addition to Royal Ascot Group 1 winner Without Parole (GB) (Frankel {GB}).
A few hours later in England, Dublin Pharoah (USA) broke his maiden racing over 1600 metres on the all-weather track at Lingfield. The large colt raced behind the leaders in the early stages before chasing down Behind The Wall (Ire) (Society Rock {Ire}) to win by 1.5l.
The sire of 31 winners worldwide, American Pharoah’s first crop has been well-received at Australasian sales this season and recently concluded the 2020 Inglis Classic sale with the highest average of any first season sire. Standing at Coolmore Australia with fellow Triple Crown winner Justify (USA), American Pharoah just completed his third season in the Hunter Valley.
Two stakes winner day for The Factor
Former Newgate Farm shuttle stallion The Factor (USA) found plenty of stakes success on Saturday with a cross-country double in the United States.
Claimed for $25,000 in November, Naughty Thoughts (USA) had knocked on the door in stakes and finally broke through on Saturday in the Wide Country S. Running over 1400 metres on dirt, she became her sire’s 28th worldwide stakes winner with her victory.
A few hours later at the Fair Grounds, Factor This (USA) became his sire’s eighth graded stakes winner in the Grade 3 Fair Ground S. It was an all-the-way win for the 5-year-old gelding in the 1800 metre race with the Brad Cox-trainee winning by a length.
The Factor shuttled to Newgate from 2014 to 2017 and is the sire of Group 3 winner Fun Fact and Listed placed Factor Me In from his Australian crops.
Azul Coast another Derby contender for Baffert
Trainer Bob Baffert already has a strong hand for the first Saturday in May but Azul Coast (USA) (Super Saver {USA}) became another contender when winning the Listed El Camino Real Derby.
Second in the Grade 3 Sham S. to start his year, Azul Coast was a few lengths behind the pace setter for much of the 1800 metre race a few paths off the rail. When the running got serious coming into the straight, Azul Coast got the first run to take over the lead. The colt had to stay focused throughout the run to hold off a host of rivals but in the end prevailed by 1.25l as the favourite.
Bred by SF Bloodstock, who has two horses in the top 20 on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard, Azul Coast now sits 11th in points for owners Karl Watson, Michael Pegram and Paul Weitman. He is one of four horses Baffert has within the top 21 in points at this stage.
By former WinStar Farm stallion Super Saver, Azul Coast was the final US-bred foal for Grade 2 winner Sky Treasure (USA) (Sky Mesa {USA}) before she relocated to Australia. The mare had a pair of Capitalist fillies in 2018 and 2019 before visiting Exceed And Excel last year. Sky Treasure’s yearling filly sold to Will Johnson Bloodstock at the 2020 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale for $130,000.
Monomoy Girl’s brother on Derby trail
2018 Champion 3-year-old filly Monomoy Girl (USA) (Tapizar {USA}) isn’t the only runner in the family with classic ambitions after her half-brother Mr. Monomoy (USA) (Palace Malice {USA}) won the first division of the Grade 2 Risen Star S. at 1800 metres.
Almost exactly two years after Monomoy Girl won the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra on her way to Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks glory, Mr. Monomoy made all the running in the Grade 2 Risen Star S. to win by 2.5l. It proved to be a major win for the colt, who had finished third in the Grade 3 Lecomte S. last out and sits atop the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard.
“He galloped out well last time and I thought he could get this distance,” trainer Brad Cox said. “I thought the draw today gave him the opportunity to break and clear if he wanted, and obviously he was willing to do it. Florent put him in a great spot and he stepped up to the plate today and proved that he belongs.
“We have a long way to go but we expect him to come out in good order. It will probably be one more race before the Derby, what race that will be we don’t know. We just have to see how he comes out of it and see what other horses run in the next few weeks and see how everything unfolds but we’re really happy with him.”
Monomoy Girl and Mr. Monomoy are the only two stakes winners from four foals out of Drumette (USA), who sold for US$1.85 million (AU$2.75 million) at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November Mixed Sale. The mare’s extended family includes Champion and Kentucky Oaks winner Heavenly Cause (USA) (Grey Dawn {Fr}) and Grade 1 winner By The Moon (USA) (Indian Charlie {USA}).
Modernist Bursts onto Derby trail
Only a day after his 2019 Kentucky Derby winner was retired, trainer Bill Mott returned to the Kentucky Derby trail with Modernist (USA) (Uncle Mo {USA}) winning the second division of the Grade 2 Risen Star.
Breaking his maiden less than a month ago in New York, Mott sent Modernist to the Risen Star specifically because of the new extended 1800 metre distance. It worked well for Modernist, who was eager to race in the early stages and settled just in time for jockey Junior Alvarado to send him to the lead in the straight.
The colt had to duel to take control of the race but once he had it was able to finish strongly and win by 1l. The 50 points he earned puts him second on the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard and gives his connections wiggle room to decide where to head next.
“I think the plan is going to the Louisiana Derby. He is very similar to Country House and I want to follow the same path as he did. This horse is a little more mature than Country House was at this point last year, so it’s exciting,” Mott said.
“I think the idea to make this race a mile and an eighth was a really good move. It gives us a chance to go nine furlongs this early in the season and it’s hard to find that. Obviously twenty horses wanted to run so it was a great chance.”
The well-bred colt is a grandson of 2009 Broodmare of the Year Sweet Life (USA) (Kris S. {USA}), the dam of two Breeders’ Cup winners. Sweet Life had a strong Saturday with her great-granddaughter Naughty Thoughts (USA) (The Factor {USA}) winning a stakes in Maryland.
Modernist is bred on the Uncle Mo x Bernardini cross that has produced four stakes horses from 13 runners with eight winners overall.
Finite wins fifth consecutive stakes
Facing last year’s Champion 2-Year-Old filly British Idiom (USA) (Flashback {USA}), Finite (USA) (Munnings {USA}) proved that she is the real deal when romping to her fifth consecutive victory in the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra.
The flashy filly was stretching out to 1900 metres for the first time but there didn’t seem to be any stamina concerns for her. She raced wide just behind the leaders and after a brief duel took the lead. While British Idiom was trying to get into gear and run her down, Finite was already building up her margin to win by 4.75l to go to the head of the Kentucky Oaks division.
“This race has obviously been a producer of really nice fillies and I think we have something to work with now with her,” said trainer Steve Asmussen.
“She’s always been a really game filly and has always showed a lot of heart. We won the Rachel with Untapable a few years ago then won the Fair Grounds Oaks and were fortunate enough to win the Kentucky Oaks, so we’re hoping this filly can stay sound and keep running well and hopefully follow that same path.”
A half-sister to Listed winner and Grade 2 UAE Derby third Reride (USA) (Candy Ride {Arg}), Finite is out of a stakes winning full sister to Grade 2 and leading freshman sire Tapiture (USA) (Tapit {USA}), Grade 3 winner Rotation (USA), and Listed winner Retap (USA).
A Speightstown (USA) son, Finite’s sire Munnings (USA) is the sire of 37 stakes winners and 60 stakes horses including Grade 1 winners I’m a Chatterbox (USA) and El Deal (USA).
