Anzac Day Winner Tijuana Latest Stakes Winner for Pharoah

American Pharoah’s worldwide stakes success continued on Monday when his Australian bred 2-year-old Tijuana (2c American Pharoah x Mexican Rose, by Volksraad) went two-from-two in the Listed VRC ANZAC Day Stakes at Flemington.

Trained by Ben and JD Hayes, the colt proved that the Lindsay Park team’s choice to move him straight to stakes company after an impressive maiden victory on March 31 was the right one.

Tijuana took the lead in the seven-furlong turf affair and kept motoring down the stretch to win by three-quarters of a length. The AU$100,000 Magic Millions graduate was cheered home by a big ownership group led by his co-buyer Best Bloodstock, who purchased the colt with his trainers.

“Great result for Jarred from Best Bloodstock, he’s got his colors coming through at the moment and has had some really good success, so to buy a horse like this and win a stakes race at your second start and win like that is very exciting,” said Ben Hayes.

“I was impressed with his manners today, first up he was a little bit colty, but today he knew what he was doing and had the race won a long way from home.”

Bred by consignor Eureka Stud with Black Soil Bloodstock, Tijuana is the second stakes performer for Singapore champion Mexican Rose alongside the listed placed Mexican Tycoon. In all, the mare produced four winners from six to race with Tijuana her last foal.

Their family includes Grade I Arlington Million winner Mill Native and Group II winner and Grade I Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf third Miss Amulet.

American Pharoah is now the sire of 27 stakes winners worldwide from his first three crops with 48 stakes performers overall. His runners have won stakes in seven different countries with graded stakes winners in six of those.