Turned Aside Wins G3 Quick Call For American Pharoah

Turned Aside (3c American Pharoah x Sustained, by War Front) became Triple Crown winner American Pharoah’s sixth graded stakes winner and ninth stakes winner overall on Friday at Saratoga with a win in the Grade III Quick Call Stakes.

Racing over 5½ furlongs on the firm turf, Turned Aside quickly put himself in a prominent position to be among the leaders. He wasn’t a fan of sharing, however, and in mid-turn took the lead all to himself with no chance of the rest of the field catching him.

Turned Aside entered the stretch over a length in front with Jose Lezcano sitting calmly on him. The jockey only asked the colt for more in midstretch as the field cut down on his lead but quickly returned to his confident ways near the wire. Turned Aside happily responded to win by 1 3/4 lengths at the line for trainer Linda Rice.

A homebred runner for Paul Pompa, Jr., Turned Aside is the only runner out of his Grade III-placed dam Sustained. The victory was the sixth top three finish in seven starts for Turned Aside, who earned his first sakes placing in the Sir Cat Stakes last out.

From the family of Grade II winner Good And Tough, Turned Aside’s family also includes Listed winner and stakes producer Flashy Four and Grade II winner Desert Party.

Now the sire of nine stakes winners overall and 19 stakes horses, last year’s Champion Freshman Sire leads all Second-Crop sires by both stakes winners and blacktype horses in 2020.