16th Stakes-Winner for American Pharoah

Triple Crown hero American Pharoah gave his former trainer Bob Baffert a stakes double on the weekend with As Time Goes By (4m American Pharoah x Take Charge Lady, by Dehere) winning the Group II Santa Margarita Stakes and then promising colt Hudson Ridge (3c American Pharoah x Shell House, by Galileo) followed up on Sunday winning the Listed Cinema Stakes (1 and 1/8th m) at Santa Anita.

A luckless maiden going into the turf contest after placing once from four previous starts, Hudson Ridge was bumped at the start, but took up a stalking position behind the leaders and was strong to the line winning by a length and a quarter for Abel Cedillo to become the 16th stakes-winner for his sire.

"I got to give Abel's agent, Tom Knust, the credit for this one," said Baffert.

"I nominated for the race, but I wasn't planning on running here and he said we should, that the horse had trouble last time and that he'd fit well with these horses. The break, I don't know what happened. It was crazy."

Hudson Ridge was bred by Coolmore partners, but is now raced by Double L Racing and Jill Baffert.

He is the best of three winners from Group III placed Galileo mare Shell House, a half-sister to Group winners Diabolical and What a Name.

Hudson Ridge is the second stakes-winner for American Pharoah bred from a daughter of champion sire Galileo joining Group I placed Group II winner Pista.

The nick offers plenty of promise with six runners so far producing four winners and aside from the two stakes-winners mentioned the other two winners are both Group placed in Monarch of Egypt and Thinking of You.

American Pharoah returns to Australia this spring at a fee of $49,500.