Stablemate's illness good break for Get Her Number in American Pharoah

ARCADIA, Calif. - An ill stablemate led to Get Her Number winning his debut on the main track in Saturday’s Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes for 2-year-olds at Santa Anita.

Get Her Number, fourth in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf on Sept. 7, and Superman Shaq, a maiden race winner at Del Mar on Sept. 6, worked six furlongs in company at San Luis Rey Downs on Sept. 19. When Superman Shaq emerged from the workout showing signs of illness, Get Her Number became a candidate for the $301,000 American Pharoah Stakes at 1 1/16 miles.

“Superman Shaq was supposed to run in this race,” trainer Peter Miller said Sunday. “Get Her Number worked good and the other horse scoped with a bunch of mucous.”

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Get Her Number won his debut in a maiden special weight race at five furlongs on turf at Del Mar on Aug. 14. He was beaten a length by Big Fish in the Juvenile Turf.

“He’d trained well on dirt,” Miller said. “The only reason I ran on the grass was because of the timing of the race.”

Owned by Gary Barber, Get Her Number, by the Mineshaft stallion Dialed In, earned a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Keeneland on Nov. 6 with the win in the American Pharoah Stakes.

Superman Shaq has shown improvement in the last week. Miller said the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes at a mile at Belmont Park on Oct. 10 remains a possibility for Superman Shaq.

Miller could have a strong team for the Breeders’ Cup. Wyfire is a candidate for the Juvenile Turf Sprint at 5 1/2 furlongs or Juvenile Turf at a mile on Nov. 6 after finishing second to Amanzi Yimpilo in Saturday’s Speakeasy Stakes. C Z Rocket earned a fees-paid berth to the BC Sprint on Nov. 7 with a win in Sunday’s Grade 2 Santa Anita Sprint Championship.

Forest Caraway, second in the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante on Sept. 6, could start in the Grade 1 Frizette Stakes at Belmont Park on Oct. 10 as a prep for the BC Juvenile Fillies.

Mo Forza will be favored in the Grade 2 City of Hope Mile on turf at Santa Anita on Saturday as a prep for the BC Mile.

In the American Pharoah, Get Her Number finished three-quarters of a length in front of Rombauer, who closed from last in a field of seven. Rombauer had a similar Del Mar summer season as Get Her Number. Rombauer won his debut in a maiden race at a mile on turf on July 25 and was sixth in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf.

On Sunday, trainer Michael McCarthy said Rombauer will be considered for the BC Juvenile.