$650,000 American Pharoah Filly Tops First OBS March Session

The 2-year-old with the quickest quarter mile breeze of last week’s OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training Under Tack Show became another session topper for American Pharoah on Tuesday when selling for $650,000.

Sold for $150,000 more than the second most expensive offering, Hip 237 sold to Katsumi Yoshida from the Wavertree Stables consignment late in the first session of the two-day sale. The bay filly is a half-sister to Listed placed My Sweet Stella and the dam of stakes winning Snapy Gal.

In addition to producing two winners from three to race, her winning dam is a half-sister to multiple stakes winner and graded stakes placed Abbondanza.

Bred by Zayat Stables and sold for $165,000 at last year’s Keeneland September Sale, the filly is headed to Japan where American Pharoah has had major success. From his first seven runners in the country, American Pharaoh has six winners including Listed winner Café Pharoah.

It was a successful day for American Pharoah at the sale overall with his colt by Please Sign In the seventh most expensive of the day. Bred by Hurstland Farm and William Kartozian, the colt was purchased by John C. Kimmel from the Wavertree Stables consignment for $320,000.

"There were a couple 'Pharoahs' in the sale," Kimmel told Blood-Horse. "I'm a big fan of the stallion. I thought this was a horse that is about half done. He's going to improve. He's a horse that's got some family, the stallion's starting to prove himself, and we think he's going to continue to improve. I think it was pretty good value for $320,000, compared to some of these other ones, because he's actually got an aptitude to run two turns and be a nice 3-year-old.”

Last year’s Champion Freshman Sire, American Pharoah has already found success in 2020 with four stakes horses this year along, including two stakes winners.