Himiko Leads American Pharoah Exacta at Santa Anita

A big weekend of winners for American Pharaoh got even bigger on Sunday when Himiko (3f American Pharaoh x Untouched Talent, by Storm Cat) led home a 1-2 finish for the stallion.

Racing over six furlongs on the dirt, Himiko raced right behind fellow American Pharaoh daughter and Bob Baffert trainee As Time Goes By with the pair controlling the race almost from the start. Moving up to the leader, in the early stretch Himiko easily took over to cruise to a 2¼ length victory with the rest of the field 5¼ lengths behind As Time Goes By.

A $1 million weanling purchase by Narvick International, the Eaton-bred filly races for Grand Farm Family.

Himiko is closely related to fellow Untouched Talent runner Bodemeister, who is by American Pharaoh’s grandsire Empire Maker. Bodemeister won the Grade I Arkansas Derby before finishing second in both the Grade I Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. Untouched Talent is also the dam of dual Grade 1-placed runner Fascinating among five winners.

A Grade III winner herself, Untouched Talent is a half-sister to two stakes horses and the dam of dual Grade I winner She’s a Julie. The mare had a Justify colt in 2020 and returned to that stallion this year.

Himiko is one of four winners for American Pharoah in the past two days with the stallion registering two winners in the United States and two in Japan.