Pharoah’s Ghalia Princess Wins Cicada

It was another stakes winning 3-year-old for American Pharoah on Saturday when Ghalia Princess (3f American Pharoah x Ghalia, by Medaglia d’Oro) scored a maiden stakes success in the Cicada Stakes.

Making her third career start after finishing second last out in the Ruthless Stakes, the filly broke on the rail in the six-furlong dirt race and was keen to press the pace as she raced right behind the leader. Keeping consistent pressure on that one, the race favorite made her first serious move as they turned into the stretch and had to face a brief duel to get the lead.

The pacesetter gave in with just over a furlong left to run and Ghalia Princess took over, winning by an easy six lengths with the third-place finisher 12 ¾ lengths behind her.

“She’s a very smart filly. Her groom actually said she reminds him of [champion] Idiomatic, and he compares those two. He worked with Idiomatic. She’s got some big shoes to fill, but we’ll see,” said Brad Cox assistant Dustin Dugas.

A $575,000 Keeneland September RNA, Ghalia Princess is trained by Brad Cox for Sumaya U.S. Stable and has won two of her three starts for $111,000 in earnings.

The International Equities Holding-bred is one of two winners from two runners out of the stakes winning Ghalia, whose other is the three-time winning Lights of Arabia. Ghalia is one of two stakes winners and three stakes performers out of Grade III winner Verdana Bold.

Verdana Bold’s six other winners include stakes winner and Grade I fourth Lucrezia and multiple stakes placed Copperplate.

American Pharoah’s four Northern Hemisphere stakes winners this year include three 3-year-old stakes winners – best among all North American and European stallions.