Moon Bead Leads Top Day in Japan for American Pharoah

Moon Bead (2f American Pharoah x Evening Jewel, by Northern Afleet) led a top Saturday in Japan for American Pharaoh with a victory at Niigata in her debut.

Racing over seven furlongs on the turf, Moon Bead started near the back of the field but made steady progress throughout the running to be just behind the leaders as they turned into the straight. Racing five wide, the filly had clear running in front of her and took full advantage.

Never asked for her best effort by jockey Hayato Yoshida, the filly galloped over the line half length in front for trainer Yasuo Tomomichi. The victory came just a few hours after the stallion’s Lady Mercy (2f American Pharaoh x Two Oceans, by Cape Town) finished third in her second start at Kyoto.

Bred by Shadai Farm and raced by Shadai Race Horse Co., Moon Bead is out of dual Grade I winner and Grade I Kentucky Oaks second Evening Jewel. Also the dam of stakes placed Bernadiva, Evening Jewel’s Deep Impact half-sister Deep Jewelry is also a stakes winner.

That pair are half-sisters to the dams of G1 Triple Bend winner Denman’s Call stakes winner Roo’s Valentine.

Champion Freshman and a leading second crop sire, American Pharaoh’s first two crops have yielded seven graded stakes winners, 10 stakes winners, and 22 stakes horses led by Grade I winner Harvey’s Lil Goil.

The stallion leads all North American and European second crop sires by earnings, Group I horses and graded stakes horses and all North American sires by blacktype winners, blacktype horses, and graded stakes winners as well.