Sire Empire Maker Dam Star of Goshen Foaled 2006 Species Equus caballus Trainer Bob Baffert Sex Stallion | Grandsire Unbridled Damsire Lord at War Country United States Parents Empire Maker Breeder Ahmed Zayat | |
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Children American Pharoah, Classic Empire | ||
Pioneerof the Nile (foaled May 5, 2006 in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the second-place finisher in the 2009 Kentucky Derby. He is the sire of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah.
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Pioneerof the nile g1 cashcall futurity 12 20 2008
Background
Pioneerof the Nile is a bay horse bred in Kentucky by his owner, Zayat Stables. He was sired by 2003 Belmont Stakes winner, Empire Maker. His dam, Star of Goshen, was a stakes-winning daughter of Lord at War, a multiple grade I winner whose victories included the 1985 Santa Anita Handicap. During his racing career, the colt was trained by Bob Baffert.
Pioneerof the Nile's unusual name owes to the fact that The Jockey Club limits application submissions to 18 characters, including spaces; thus Zayat Stables dropped a space between "Pioneer" and "of".
At a 2007 yearling auction, the as-yet-unnamed Pioneerof the Nile was "bought back" by Zayat for $290,000 after failing to achieve bids commensurate with the owner's expectations. He matured to stand 16.2 hands (66 inches, 168 cm).
Racing career
As a two-year-old, Pioneerof the Nile debuted August 4, 2008, in a Maiden Special Weight (1 1/16 of a mile on turf) at Saratoga, where he finished fourth, beaten by two lengths and a half. His next race was on August 25, another 1 1/16 of a mile turf Maiden Special Weight at Saratoga. He jumped in the air at the break, and stayed in seventh of the nine horse field, before moving up and challenging for the lead on the turn, gaining the lead off of the turn, and going on to win by a length, with a time of 1:41.59. Later in the year, he won the Grade I CashCall Futurity.
In his 3-year-old campaign, he won the Robert B. Lewis Stakes, the San Felipe Stakes, and California's most important race for his age group, the Santa Anita Derby. Pioneerof the Nile finished second to Mine That Bird in the 2009 Kentucky Derby over a sloppy track. He finished 11th in The Preakness Stakes.
Retirement
Pioneerof the Nile was retired from racing after a soft tissue injury in July 2009. He first stood at the Vinery Stud in Lexington, Kentucky, in 2010 for a stud fee of $17,500. Zayat retained a 75% interest in the stallion, when he normally keeps a 25% share. His first crop of foals began racing in 2013. From his first crop he sired Derby prospects Cairo Prince, winner of the Holy Bull Stakes, and Social Inclusion, who finished 3rd in the Preakness Stakes. In his second season at stud he sired the 2014 American Champion Two-Year-Old Male Horse American Pharoah, who became the 12th U.S. Triple Crown winner in 2015.
As of 2016 Pioneerof the Nile currently stands at WinStar Farm. In 2015 his fee was increased to $60,000. Following the racing success of American Pharoah, in October 2015, it was announced that Pioneerof the Nile's stud fee had more than doubled, and he would stand the 2016 season for a fee of $125,000, though Justin Zayat, son of Ahmed Zayat, said offers as high as $150,000 had been entertained for 2016. From his 2014 foal crop, another son, Classic Empire, won the 2016 Breeders Cup Juvenile, and was crowned Champion 2 Year Old at the [[Eclipse Awards]].