Harvey's Lil Goil notches milestone for sire American Pharoah in QE II

It was fitting that a filly bred from racing royalty prevailed in the Grade 1, $500,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland on Saturday. Harvey's Lil Goil, who is from the immediate family of dual classic winner and champion I'll Have Another, became the first Grade 1 winner for her sire, Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, as she held off Micheline to win the race for 3-year-old turf fillies by three-quarters of a length.

Harvey's Lil Goil ($9.20) was bred by the late Harvey Clarke, who also bred his dam's half-brother, 2012 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner and divisional Eclipse Award champion I'll Have Another. Clarke died in January 2019, and this filly, trained by Bill Mott, races in the name of his estate, in partnership with Paul Braverman.

Harvey's Lil Goil won the Busanda Stakes earlier this year on dirt at Aqueduct, and also finished third in the Grade 1 Alabama Stakes on dirt behind eventual Preakness Stakes winner Swiss Skydiver and Bonny South at Saratoga. However, on turf, she now owns two graded stakes wins in Kentucky, adding the Queen Elizabeth II to the Grade 3 Regret Stakes in June at Churchill Downs. More recently, she was second to Micheline in the Dueling Grounds Oaks at Kentucky Downs, beaten just a neck after leading in the stretch.

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"She’s a little superstar," Kenny McCarthy, Mott's Kentucky-based assistant, said. "She pretty much goes on any surface for us. At least in my mind, I think the turf probably is a little bit easier for her to handle.”

The versatility of Harvey's Lil Goil is a testament to Horse of the Year American Pharoah, the 2015 Triple Crown and Breeders' Cup Classic winner who concluded his career by winning the latter at Keeneland. American Pharoah, who now stands for the international Coolmore group, never raced on turf, but has sired stakes performers on a variety of surfaces internationally.

The stallion knocked on the door of top-level success while finishing as a leading freshman sire last year, as Monarch of Egypt was second in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes in Ireland; American Theorem was second in the Grade 1 race named for his sire at Santa Anita; and Sweet Melania was third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. This month, American Pharoah again knocked on the door with Group 1 success, as Pista finished second in the Prix de Royallieu in France. Overall, American Pharoah is now the sire of seven graded/group stakes winners worldwide, as Harvey's Lil Goil is joined by Cafe Pharoah, Four Wheel Drive, Maven, Pista, Sweet Melania, and Turned Aside.

Sweet Melania showed the way early in the Queen Elizabeth II, keen to get away from post 2. Meanwhile, Martin Garcia wrangled Harvey's Lil Goil, who broke immediately to her inside in post 1, outside to track that foe in the clear. Sweet Melania led through an honest opening half-mile in 47.75 seconds on turf rated good after early rain, with Harvey's Lil Goil in second on her hip as they led the rest of the pack by two lengths.

Those two maintained their positions through six furlongs in 1:12.16.

Garcia set his filly down at the quarter pole, and she assumed command to open up a length lead over rallying favorite Magic Attitude as Sweet Melania made a hasty retreat. Micheline, who had stalked the pace in fourth in the early going, was floated five wide as she commenced her run into the lane. She continued on on the outside and came to Harvey's Lil Goil in the final yards, missing the leader while edging Magic Attitude by half a length for second.

The final time for the 1 1/8 miles was 1:48.72

“She has a lot of natural speed," Garcia said. "She’s fast – you can do whatever you want. After the break, I moved outside and she was really comfortable by herself. When it was time to go, I asked and she responded.”

The top three were followed by Red Lark, California Kook, Hendy Woods, and Sweet Melania.