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American Pharoah

American Pharoah won the 2015 Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stake, thus becoming the 12th U.S. Triple Crown champion. He also won the 2015 Breeders Cup Classic, which means he completed the U.S. Grand Slam of Thoroughbred racing. This was the first time ever any horse managed to do this.

After his amazing 2015 season, American Pharoah retired from racing and he is now a stud for Ashford Stud.

American Pharoah

Basic information

American Pharoah was foaled on February 2, 2012. His breeder and owner is Ahmed Zayat, the CEO of Zayat Stables. American Pharoah is a bay stallion who sports a faint star on his forehead.

The name was accidentally misspelled at the registration form, that is why the horse is named American Pharoah instead of American Pharaoh.

Racing

Record: 11: 9-1-0

Race earnings: $8,650,300

Trainer: Bob Baffert

Jockey: For most of his races, American Pharoah was ridden by Victor Espinoza.

Major wins

Del Mar Futurity (2014)
FrontRunner Stakes (2014)
Rebel Stakes (2015)
Arkansas Derby (2015)
Haskell Invitational (2015)

Kentucky Derby (2015)
Preakness Stakes (2015)
Belmont Stakes (2015)
Breeders’ Cup Classic (2015)

Accolades

American Champion Two-Year-Old Male Horse (2014)

12th U.S. Triple Crown Champion (2015)
1st U.S. Grand Slam Champion (2015)
American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse (2015)
American Horse of the Year (2015)

NTRA “Moment of the Year” (2015)
Secretariat Vox Populi Award (2015)
IFHA World’s Best Racehorse (2015)

There is an American Pharoah Statue at Oaklawn Park, Arkansas.

Naming honors:

  • American Pharoah Way in Fayette and Woodford counties, Kentucky
  • American Pharoah Stakes at Santa Anita Park

Winning the 2015 Belmont Stakes

American Pharoah trained at Churchill Downs in Kentucky while preparing for the Belmont Stakes, and never did any timed workout at the Belmont race track. This was a controversial decision, but Baffert wanted to keep the horse happy by training him on a track he knew and liked. The Belmont Stakes were scheduled for June 6, and American Pharoah was flewn into Long Island MacArthur Airport on June 2, travelling from Kentucky on a customized Boeing 727.

In the draw, American Pharoah got the #5 position. Up until then, 14 other Belmont Stakes winners had started from position five, including 1977 Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew.

American Pharoah was the only horse in the 2015 Belmont Stakes that had started in both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes, and he had run a total of four races in the preceding eight weeks.

When the starting gate opened, American Pharoah was leaning back and was a touch late. He recovered quickly, however, and took the lead early in the race. American Pharoah then kept the lead throughout the race, steadily increasing it and not letting any other horse pass. The main challenger was Materiality, but that horse faded on the top of the stretch. American Pharoah finnished the 1 ½ mile long Belmont Stakes at 2:26.65 with a 5 ½ length margin.

American Pharoah was the first Triple Crown champion since 1978, ending a long period of “Triple Crown drought”.

Background

American Pharoah was foaled at Tom VanMeter’s Stockplace Farm in Lexington, Kentucky on Groundhog Day 2012. He lived at Pretty Run Farm near Lexinton for a few months before moving with his dam to Vinery Farm (also near Lexington), the home of his sire Pinoeer of the Nile. In early January, American Pharoah moved to the Kentucky farm Taylor Made Farm.

In August 2013, American Pharoah was consigned to the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling sale, where he was indirectly bought back by his owner Ahmed Zyat for the posted minimum of $300,000. Zyat sent the horse to the McKathan Brothers Training Centre in Florida.

American Pharoah´s pedigree

Sire
Pioneerof the Nile
Empire Maker Unbridled Fappiano
Gana Facil
Toussaud El Gran Senor
Image of Reality
Star of Goshen Lord at War General
Luna de Miel
Castle Eight Key to the Kingdom
Her Native
Dam
Littleprincessemma
Yankee Gentleman Storm Cat Storm Bird
Terlingua
Key Phrase Flying Paster
Sown
Exclusive Rosette Ecliptical Exclusive Native
Minnetonka
Zetta Jet Tri Jet
Queen Zetta

Pioneer of the Nile finnished runner-up in the 2009 Kentucky Derby.

On this page:

  • 1 Basic information
  • 2 Racing
    • 2.1 Major wins
  • 3 Accolades
  • 4 Winning the 2015 Belmont Stakes
  • 5 Background
    • 5.1 American Pharoah´s pedigree

Navigation:

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  • The Triple Crown
  • Past Winners
    • – Affirmed
    • – American Pharoah
    • – Justify
    • – Man o’ War
    • – Secretariat
    • – Sir Barton
  • Contact us
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