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.
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.