What a surprise! As of today, April 19, American Pharoah has taken over as leading freshman sire, with two debut winners out of three starters, the first winner, Monarch of Egypt, in Ireland, the second, today, at Aqueduct, in the first race, a $100,000 maiden special weight. Maven, trained by two-year-old whiz Wesley Ward, sent out Maven as the prohibitive favorite, and the colt won gate-to-wire, despite running green down the stretch.
Out of the Any Given Saturday mare Richie’s Party Girl, Maven aced the four and a half furlong contest by half a length, and will certainly improve with experience. Ridden by Dylan Davis and owned by Richard Ravin, Maven collected the $50,000 winner’s share to give American Pharoah just over $77,000 in first crop earnings, sending him soaring into first place above Ashford’s other freshman phenom, Competitive Edge, and nearly doubling that young stallion’s progeny earnings.
Particularly impressive was the fact that Maven is a May 24 colt, meaning he is not yet truly two. It’s still early, but it would seem that American Pharoah may be one of those exceptional racehorses who is able to impart his own brilliance to his offspring. All of his yearling and two-year-old prices at auction indicated that his first crop looked the part. Now, it would seem, they are beginning to get their starring roles.