Merneith Wins Fort Springs For American Pharoah
Merneith (3f American Pharoah x Flattermewithroses, by Flatter) became the 12th stakes winner for American Pharoah on Saturday when the Grade II-placed 3-year-old won the Qatar Fort Springs Stakes.
Racing over six furlongs on the Keeneland dirt, the filly raced wide near the back of the pack for much of the race. Luis Saez used that to his advantage around the far turn when guiding his filly closer to the front, just a few lengths behind as they entered the stretch.
Merneith dug deep in final furlong to steadily gain on the leader and get her neck in front as they crossed the line to take her career earnings to $201,900. Only off the board once in eight starts for HRH Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud and trainer Bob Baffert, Merneith was a $350,000 weanling before selling for $600,000 as a 2-year-old at OBS.
Bred by China Horse Club, Merneith is the first stakes winner and one of two winners from two to race out of stakes winner Flattermewithroses. That mare’s granddam is multiple graded stakes winner Fluttery Danseur, the dam of four stakes horses including stakes winner Derive and Grade I-placed Hendrix.
Flattermewithroses also has a yearling filly by Classic Empire, who sold for $310,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
The sire of 22 stakes horses and 12 stakes winners, last year’s Champion Freshman Sire American Pharoah leads all Northern Hemisphere second crop sires by Grade I winners with two, graded stakes winners with eight, graded stakes horses with 17, and Grade I performers at six.