Another Grade 1 Winner for American Pharoah bloodhorse.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from bloodhorse.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
11:20AM, FEB 21 2021
American Pharoah notched his third top-flight winner, and first on dirt, when his son Cafe Pharoah claimed the Grade 1 February Stakes at Tokyo on Sunday. The US-bred four-year-old was adding to his two Grade 3 victories, having won the Unicorn Stakes and the Sirius Stakes last year.
Jockey Christophe Lemaire tracked the leaders aboard the powerfully-built bay, and having hit the front entering the final furlong, Cafe Pharoah ran on strongly to deny the fast-finishing Air Spinel, a son of King Kamehameha, by three-quarters of a length. His condition was super and I had confidence already in the paddock, said Lemaire. We decided to use cheekpieces hoping for a more aggressive performance. His start was good, we were positioned well and he responded beautifully. The colt has such high potential. I had no doubt that he could land a Grade 1 win if he gave his best. I’m happy that it all worked out today.
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Cafe Pharoah won Japan s February Stakes, the first Win and You re In Breeders Cup Challenge Series race of 2021 for the Classic
In 2015, American Pharoah took the racing world by storm when he captured the Triple Crown and Breeders Cup Classic (G1). On Sunday at Tokyo Racecourse in Japan, Koichi Nishikawa s Cafe Pharoah, a Kentucky-bred son of American Pharoah, earned the first automatic berth into this year s $6 million Longines Breeders Cup Classic through the Breeders Cup Challenge Series with a three-quarter length victory over Air Spinel (JPN) in the one-mile $1.84 million February Stakes (G1) on dirt.
The Breeders Cup Challenge is an international series of stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the 2021 Breeders Cup World Championships, which is scheduled to be held on Nov. 5-6 at Del Mar racetrack in Del Mar, California.
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Cafe Pharoah wins the Unicorn Stakes in 2020 (Japan Racing Association Photo)
TokyoHorseRacing Co. Ltd. s Red le Zele (JPN) and Koichi Nishikawa s Cafe Pharoah (JPN) lead the 16-horse field for Sunday s 38th running of the 1-mile, $1.84 million February Stakes (G1) on dirt at Tokyo Racecourse. The February Stakes winner will earn the first automatic qualifying berth for this year s $6 million Longines Breeders Cup Classic (G1) to be awarded through the Breeders Cup Challenge Series.
The Breeders Cup Challenge is an international series of stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the 2021 Breeders Cup World Championships, which is scheduled to be held on Nov. 5-6 at Del Mar racetrack in Del Mar, California.
White Birch Strikes Early for $925,000 Regal Glory bloodhorse.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from bloodhorse.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.