French Derby Contender for American Pharoah
The leading first season sire by average at Australasian yearling sales in 2020, American Pharoah was making news overnight in France where his talented colt Ocean Atlantique (3c American Pharoah x Tare Green, by Giant's Causeway) was a commanding winner of the Listed Prix de Suresnes (2000m) at Deauville, a race won last year by subsequent French Derby winners Sottsass.
Going straight to the lead, the Andre Fabre trainee never seemed pressured as he galloped along with his ears pricked. Jockey Pierre-Charles Boudot looked extremely confident throughout, as his mount surged clear to win by five lengths.
"He's a colt with a good mind on him who is calm and takes his work well," said winning jockey Pierre-Charles Boudot.
"There was always a chance it could get tactical today but he jumped well, so I let him stride on. He accelerated well in the straight and stayed all the way to the line. He's improving with racing."
The sales topper at the Arqana Breeze-Up Sale last year for the Grove Stud consignment when bringing €1.1 million from the Broadhurst Agency for the Coolmore partners, the colt was also a $275,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase when bought from breeder Indian Creek by Grove Stud.
He has the overall record of two wins and two seconds from just four starts and started his 2020 campaign with a placing in the Group III Prix La Force two and a half weeks ago.
The seventh stakes-winner for American Pharoah, Ocean Atlantique is the second winner for Tare Green, a half-sister by Giant’s Causeway to US Champion Turf Male Leroidesanimaux.
Ocean Atlantique comes from a deep female family with his third dam Kerali the dam of bluehen mare Hasili, who has given us champions Bansk Hill and Intercontinental among her five Group I winners.
Ocean Atlantique also provided an important update for his unraced half-sister Lark Rise, who visited American Pharoah this year.
Ocean Atlantique is one of 39 winners and 17 stakes horses from American Pharoah’s first crop. The Champion Freshman Sire for North America in 2019, he is proving to be a truly international sire with stakes horses in five different countries and winners in nine countries.
His first Australian runners will hit tracks her later this year and American Pharoah is slated to return to Coolmore Australia in the spring at a fee of $55,000.