G2 Winner for American Pharoah
Talented filly Pista (3f American Pharoah x Mohini, by Galileo) has been making rapid progress and took another step forward when scoring a dominant win at Doncaster overnight in the Group II Park Hill Fillies (1m6½f).
The Joseph O’Brien trained filly was a commanding maiden winner at her second start at Galway on August 2, then followed up with a Listed victory at Leopardstown on August 13.
She settled last in the run and hit the line hard to win by a length and a half taking her overall record to three wins from four starts.
“Joseph thought Pista came here with a good chance” said William Buick.
“She had a lovely profile coming in here and I thought she won well today. She's a good staying filly, the race looked like it was there for an improver to come through and she was that one horse.”
Pista was a $675,000 Keeneland September purchase for Heider Family Stables and is the first winner for blue-blooded Galileo mare Mohini, a daughter of Group I winner Denebola and half-sister to the dam of Group I winner Senga.
Her third dam is Group I winner Coup de Genie, a full sister to influential sire Machiavellian, this branch of the family also producing Champion 3YO and Arc winner Bago as well as Group I winners Maxios and Emollient, who is interestingly by Empire Maker, the grand-sire of American Pharoah.
Pista is the second winner from just three runners for American Pharoah from daughters of Galileo, the other being his Group I place-getter Monarch of Egypt.
The first Australian progeny of American Pharoah will race this season and the Triple Crown winner is back in Australia this spring at a fee of $55,000.