American Pharoah paddock

$1.2 Million Filly for American Pharoah

It was a second seven figure yearling in five days for American Pharoah on Monday when his daughter out of Modification sold for $1.2 million to Mike G. Rutherford at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

The sixth most expensive of the session, the filly had a major update when her Uncle Mo half-brother Yaupon won the Grade II Amsterdam Stakes two weeks ago. She is also a half-sister to Grade II-placed Sawyer’s Hill and was sold by Betz Thoroughbreds for breeders Betz, J. Betz, CoCo Equine, Magers and Burns. The filly’s dam Modification is a Grade I-placed daughter of stakes winner and strong producer Swift Alliance.

That mare is the dam of three stakes winners with her daughters producing six stakes horses, led by Yaupon. Modification herself is the dam of four winners from six to race, including the two stakes horses.

“She is beautiful, gorgeous,” Rutherford told Thoroughbred Daily News. “Best filly I have seen. Let’s hope she can run.”

American Pharoah had 11 sell in Book 1 for a gross of $4,115,000 and an average of $373,091.

On the first day of selling, he had an $475,000 filly purchased by Tommy Town Thoroughbreds out of stakes placed Easy Living sold by breeder Stonehaven Steadings to top his first session offerings. That price was matched mid-session two when an American Pharaoh colt out of Refugee bred by Barronstown Stud sold for $475,000 to Three Amigos.

That Eaton Sales-offered colt is a half-brother to multiple Grade I winners Hoppertunity and Executiveprivilege among four stakes winners and one stakes placed runner out of Grade II-placed Refugee.

The Triple Crown winner’s half-brother to Uncle Mo’s Grade II winner and Grade I-placed King Guillermo and Fastnet Rock’s stakes-placed Dorothy B was another popular yearling during the second session. That Hunter Valley Farm-consigned colt bred by Carhue Investments, Grouseridge LTD. and Marengo Investments brought $400,000 from My MeadowView.

American Pharoah has had an outstanding start to his stallion career as Champion Freshman Sire last season with his 21 stakes horses led by 10 stakes winners and seven graded stakes winners the most of any second crop sire this year.