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Ninth Graded stakes winner for Coolmore Australia shuttler American Pharoah
Coolmore Australia shuttler American Pharoah (Pioneerof The Nile) sired his ninth Group / Graded stakes winner on Saturday when Merneith (4 f ex Flattermewithroses by Flatter) landed the Santa Monica Stakes (Gr 2, 7f) at Santa Monica.
Bred by China Horse Club and raced by Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud, Merneith led home a trifecta for trainer Bob Baffert when she defeated stablemate Golden Principal (Constitutional) by two and a quarter lengths. Qahira (Cairo Prince) was the same distance back in third.
"She looks like American Pharoah to me,” said Baffert.
“When she came in, she looked almost like a spitting image of him. I'm glad they are starting to run now. Today is the day she finally showed what she has and that was a pretty tough field of horses that she beat.”
Merneith was sold as a foal for US$350,000 at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November Mixed Sale and then realised US$600,000 when sold to her owner and Narvick International at the 2019 OBS Ocala Select 2YO Sale.
She has now won four times and placed in the La Brea Stakes (Gr 1, 7f) last year. Out of Listed winner Flattermewithroses (Flatter), Merneith’s third dam is Grade 2 winner Fluttery Danseur (Wavering Monarch) who produced ten winners from as many foals to race including Listed winner Derive (Cozzene).
American Pharoah is standing for a fee of US$100,000 this year at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud in Kentucky. He covered a book of 100 mares in the Hunter Valley last season. He had 18 yearlings sell for a total of $3,845,000 at the Gold Coast last month at an average of $213,611 and he has 25 lots catalogued for the forthcoming Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.