Ram rides American Pharoah's momentum into Preakness

Six years after the 2015 Kentucky Derby victory that kicked off his Triple Crown sweep, an already huge month of May for American Pharoah could get even more significant.

American Pharoah, who is based at the international Coolmore operation’s Ashford Stud in Kentucky, was announced as having been elected to the Hall of Fame on May 5. In the 48 hours of May 7-8, he was represented by four winners on the racetrack, including Harvey’s Lil Goil in the Grade 3 Beaugay Stakes. And on May 15, American Pharoah is expected to be represented by his first U.S. classic starter, with Ram in the Preakness Stakes.

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American Pharoah’s recent winners kicked off with a 3-year-old at Pimlico, as American Patrol won a maiden special weight on Friday. The following afternoon, Harvey’s Lil Goil captured the Beaugay at Belmont. Less than 20 minutes later, Himiko won an allowance race at Churchill Downs. She’s a Lil Flirt capped the Saturday action for American Pharoah, winning a claiming race at Golden Gate.

The Beaugay was the first start for Harvey’s Lil Goil since finishing third in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf last November. The filly, trained by Bill Mott for the Estate of Harvey Clarke and Paul Braverman, was a versatile and consistent campaigner in 2020. She won the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup and Grade 3 Regret Stakes on turf, as well as finishing second in the Dueling Grounds Oaks and third at the Breeders’ Cup on that surface. She also won the Busanda Stakes on dirt, and was third in the Grade 1 Alabama Stakes on dirt.

Harvey’s Lil Goil is one of 10 graded/group stakes winners for American Pharoah, and encapsulates her sire’s versatility. He has proven proficient with turf runners worldwide while also turning out prominent dirt runners. He is the sire of French Group 1 winner and European champion juvenile Van Gogh, along with Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint winner Four Wheel Drive and graded/group winners Harvey’s Lil Goil, Maven, Pista, Sweet Melania, and Turned Aside on the grass.

Cafe Pharoah won the Grade 1 February Stakes in Japan earlier this season to become his sire’s first top-level winner on dirt. He was joined by graded stakes-winning dirt females As Time Goes By and Merneith. American Pharoah was the leading freshman sire of 2019 by earnings and tied for the lead by winners. He was the leading second-crop sire of 2020 by earnings and graded stakes winners, and leads this class, now third-crop sires, by graded winners through the first quarter of 2021.

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Ram will attempt to step up in a big way in Saturday’s Preakness Stakes. The American Pharoah ridgling is out of the unraced Mineshaft mare Miner’s Secret, also the dam of multiple graded/group stakes winner Coal Front, stakes winner Conquest Titan, and stakes-placed Laafy. Ram was a $375,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase by D. Wayne Lukas for clients Robert Baker and William Mack.

“We realize he has to step forward to be effective,” Lukas said Saturday morning after Ram trained at Churchill Downs. “But when these horses are doing well, sometimes they’ll step up and do what you want them to do. I always thought this horse had potential. He was immature; he’s a May 13 foal. I bought him as a yearling. I liked him then. He was a little bit feminine, which I like. I gave him plenty of time, waiting for him to come around.”

Ram won his maiden under $50,000 claiming conditions in April at Oaklawn, going 1 1/16 miles on a wet-fast track. That marked his eighth start after seven outings in maiden special weight company. He then won a one-turn mile allowance for 3-year-olds and up by 3 1/2 lengths on the Kentucky Derby undercard.