American Pharoah walking

Above The Curve Newest ‘Rising Star’ for American Pharoah

Above The Curve (3f American Pharoah x Fabulous, by Galileo) looks to be another talented runner for Triple Crown winner American Pharoah after breaking her maiden by an easy 2 ¾ lengths at Leopardstown on Wednesday to earn Thoroughbred Daily News Rising Star status.

The Joseph O’Brien trainee was making her second career start and first at over a mile in the 1 ¼ mile turf race and made easy work of it with hints that she’ll be able to go even further in races to come. She made a move for the lead with a quarter mile left to run and the race was all but over.

Shane Crosse asked her for a bit more in the end with Galileo’s Thoughts of June in second and the third placed runner 5 ¼ lengths behind.

“We think a lot of her,” trainer Joseph O'Brien told Thoroughbred Daily News. “She had a really good run last year and has an amazing pedigree. We couldn't ask for more and we'll see where we go now, but we think she's an [Irish] Oaks type.

A homebred for the Coolmore partners, they’re joined in her racing ownership by Westerberg.

Above The Curve is a blue-blooded full sister to American Pharoah’s multiple Group III-placed Thinking Of You. Their second dam is the multiple graded stakes winning bluehen mare Mariah’s Storm, who also produced European Horse of the Year Giant’s Causeway among her eight stakes performers. That group also includes the Group II winner and emerging bluehen You’resothrilling.

You’resothrilling is the dam of multiple champion and Coolmore sire Gleneagles, multiple champion Happily, and classic winners Joan of Arc and Marvelous among her six group winners.

Fabulous visited another Triple Crown winner the year Above The Curve was born in Justify and has a 2-year-old filly and a yearling filly by that stallion. She returned to Justify last year.