American Pharoah as a sire: Two winners already with eyes on Royal Ascot

Bred by Ward and owned by Richard Ravin, Maven is out of the multiple stakes-winning turf sprinter Richies Party Girl. Ward believes that his future lies on turf, nominating the June 20 Norfolk (G2) at Royal Ascot as an objective.

“We’ll run him in the Norfolk at Royal Ascot,” his breeder/trainer said, “and hopefully we can put American Pharoah on the big scale as a sire.”

Monarch of Egypt has also been mentioned as a potential Royal Ascot type by O’Brien, who’s given him an early entry in Monday’s First Flier S. at the Curragh. O’Brien made another American Pharoah colt, the unraced South Saqqara , eligible for that five-furlong stakes. (And a third could be in the mix for a maiden on the same card.) Final declarations won’t be revealed until the weekend, so we’ll know more at that point how many Pharoahs will actually run.

American Pharoah has had three additional U.S. runners, two of them placed. Ward’s Tesorina looked home free at Aqueduct April 17 before tiring late and finishing third. Stablemate Lady Delaware , who was scratched that day, made her debut in the 1ST race on Thursday’s card (“Thurby”) at Churchill Downs. Fading down the stretch on the sloppy track, she wound up sixth. Shortly afterward, American Pharoah had another firster hit the board when the Todd Pletcher-trained Sweet Melania placed third in Belmont Park’s Thursday opener.

For more on American Pharoah’s first crop , see the Brisnet.com coverage with periodic updates as the juveniles are named (or renamed). The next round-up of names is forthcoming!

American Pharoah photo (c) NYRA/Coglianese Photography/Susie Raisher