American Grace Another Smart Juvenile for Pharoah

American Grace (2f American Pharoah x Warrior Made, by Holy Bull) became the latest debut winner for her sire with a 2 ½ length maiden win at Ellis Park on Friday.

Racing over seven furlongs on dirt, American Grace broke among the top horses under Gabriel Saez and raced at the hip of the pacesetter. After shadowing the leader, with two furlongs left to run American Grace took over control and entered the stretch in the lead.

Saez had to keep the filly focused on her job once she was alone, but she made his job easy in the end. A homebred for Russell Welch, the Larry Jones trainee won by 2½ lengths as the race favorite.

A half-sister to Listed placed Warrior’s Kid, American Grace is the fourth winner from four foals out of four-time stakes winning mare Warrior Maid.

One of six winners for her own dam, Warrior Maid is out of a half-sister to Grade III Southwest Stakes winner Jim’smrtee.

Now the sire of 52 winners, last year’s Champion Freshman Sire American Pharoah is among the leading sire of 2-year-olds this year with four winners. The Triple Crown winner also leads all second crop sires by graded stakes winners with six, stakes winners with nine, stakes horses with 20, graded stakes horses with 15 and Grade I horses with three.