Mrs. O’Connell Newest Winner for American Pharaoh

It was another juvenile winner for American Pharoah on Thursday when Mrs. O’Connell (2f American Pharoah x Jemima’s Pearl, by Distorted Humor) won a Maiden Special Weight at Churchill Downs.

Racing over a mile on the turf, Mrs. O’Connell was the best out of the gate and keenly raced behind the leader on the rail. Looking for a hole as they turned into the stretch, Mrs. O’Connell was disappointed when one didn’t open in front of her but quickly regrouped to swing outside of the leader for her run.

She quickly pulled alongside the leader before going by in the final furlong to win by half a length for owner Lee Pokoik.

Trained by Kenny McPeek, Mrs. O’Connell has finished top three in two of her three starts.

A full sister to American Pharoah’s winning Liraz, the Hunter Valley-bred Mrs. O’Connell is out of Grade II-placed Jemima’s Pearl. That mare is a half-sister to stakes winner English Colony and Grade III-placed Pinckney Hill.

American Pharoah has a 100 percent strike rate when bred to Distorted Humor mares with all six of his runners bred on the cross winning at least one race. Two have won in the last week with Wasp breaking her maiden by 10¼ lengths last Friday.

The leading sire of his generation, American Pharoah is the sire of 22 stakes horses, including 11 stakes winners led by Grade I winner and Breeders’ Cup contender Harvey’s Lil Goil and Group I winner Van Gogh.