American Pharoah’s Harvey’s Lil Goil Wins G1 Queen Elizabeth II
The versatile Harvey’s Lil Goil (3f American Pharoah x Gloria S, by Tapit) became her Triple Crown-winning sire’s first Grade I winner on Saturday Keeneland with a victory in the Grade I Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes Presented by Dixiana.
Tracking fellow American Pharoah runner Sweet Melania for much of the 1 1/8 mile turf race, Harvey’s Lil Goil galloped comfortably under Martin Garcia. Inching up on the leader near the end of the backstretch, Harvey’s Lil Goil was even with her as they hit the quarter pole and took the lead shortly after.
“We were pretty confident with her,” said trainer Bill Mott’s assistant Kenny McCarthy. “She ran a super race for us at Kentucky Downs (finishing second)in her last out and had trained really well in between. She’s a little superstar. 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.”
Harvey’s Lil Goil stayed in front from that point on to win by three quarters of a length for the Estate of Harvey A. Clarke and Paul Braverman. The winner of four of her eight starts, the filly pushed her career earnings to $561,529 with this victory.
Harvey’s Lil Goil has proven to be a versatile runner with stakes victories on both turf and dirt with her first Grade I attempt two starts ago seeing her finish third in the Grade I Alabama on dirt over 1 ¼ miles.
Bred by the late Harvey A. Clarke, Harvey’s Lil Goil is out of a half-sister to the Clarke-bred dual classic winner I’ll Have Another and his multiple graded stakes winning half-brother Golden Award.
The filly’s extended family includes Grade I winner Roanoke, four-time champion Beholder, and American Pharaoh’s Grade I Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winning stablemate Mendelssohn.
Last year’s Champion Freshman Sire American Pharoah leads nearly every category on the Second-Crop Sire list with 10 graded stakes winners, seven graded stakes winners, five Grade I performers, and 17 graded stakes horses. Harvey’s Lil Goil’s Grade I victory also puts him second by Grade I winners.