American Pharoah’s Above The Curve Back to Winning Ways
American Pharoah’s Group I winner Above The Curve (4f American Pharoah x Fabulous, by Galileo) returned to her winning ways on Sunday with a two length victory in the Group II Prix Corrida at Saint-Cloud.
Racing just over 1 ¼ miles, Above The Curve jumped well out of the gate to immediately take up a place in the front of the field to set a steady pace. Relaxed under Maxime Guyon, the bay happily ignored any pressure the rest of the field tried to put her under and pricked her ears around the turn as they made their way toward the stretch.
Guyon didn’t ask for her to pick up the pace until just outside the final furlong when she quickly responded to start pulling away. Given a hand ride near the line, Above The Curve was an easy two lengths in front at the end.
Trained by Joseph O’Brien for Westerberg and owner-breeders Coolmore, Above The Curve has now won four of nine starts with three other top three finishes in her career.
“[O’Brien] said that she is a very straightforward filly with a huge action and to go on if nobody wanted the lead,” Guyon told Thoroughbred Daily News. “She traveled beautifully and quickened well. She had the race in the bag quite early.”
Above The Curve is one of two stakes performers out of Fabulous by American Pharoah alongside multiple Group III placed Thinking Of You. Fabulous is one of the youngest daughters of bluehen broodmare Mariah’s Storm. That mare produced Horse of the Year and champion sire Giant’s Causeway, Grade II winner and bluehen broodmare You’resothrilling, and six other stakes performers.
Fabulous’s half-sisters have produced champions Gleneagles and Happily and Grade I winners Decorated Knight, Joan of Arc, and Marvellous.
Fabulous has a 3-year-old Justify filly named Deadly Nightshade, a 2-year-old filly by that Triple Crown winner, and a yearling full brother to both of them.
American Pharoah leads all fifth crop sires this year by earnings, stakes performers, graded stakes winners, and graded stakes performer. He leads by overall earnings, graded stakes winners, Grade I winners, and Grade I performers among the group as well.