Maven Becomes First Group Winner for American Pharoah

Freshman sire American Pharoah 's journey to becoming a successful stallion passed two significant milestones June 29 as he posted a first stakes performer in Ireland and then a breakthrough group winner in France within hours of each other.

Monarch of Egypt collected that first piece of black type for his Triple Crown-winning sire when running second in the Gain Railway Stakes (G2) at the Curragh, although the Aidan O'Brien-trained colt was firmly put in his place by impressive 2 1/2-length winner Siskin, a son of First Defence saddled by Ger Lyons.

More creditable was the convincing frontrunning victory of American Pharoah's other son Maven, albeit by a rapidly diminishing head over the Power filly Jolie in the Connolly's Redmills Prix du Bois (G3) at Chantilly.

Maven is trained and bred by crack U.S. handler Wesley Ward, and he carries the silks of Richard Ravin. After winning a maiden special weight over 4 1/2 furlongs at Aqueduct Racetrack in April, he was offered at the Goffs London Sale on the eve of Royal Ascot with an entry in the Norfolk Stakes but was unsold at £725,000 (US$912,703) and was withdrawn from his royal engagement due to soft ground.

Maven is out of Juvenile Turf Sprint Stakes winner Richies Party Girl, a daughter of Any Given Saturday trained by Ward and co-owned by him and Ravin.

Richies Party Girl is a half sister to Strategic Partner, a grade 3 winner over 1 1/6 miles on turf at Churchill Downs, and Victory Light, grade 2-placed over a mile on the Woodbine turf. Another winning half sister, Light From Above, is the dam of Las Virgenes Stakes (G1) second Light the City.

American Pharoah became the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years when, after a champion 2-year-old season, he landed the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1), Xpressbet.com Preakness Stakes (G1), and Belmont Stakes Presented by DraftKings (G1) in 2015. The son of Pioneerof the Nile showed admirable fortitude to progress from a grueling classic trail to add victories in the William Hill Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1) and Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) that season.

Standing at Coolmore's Ashford Stud in Kentucky for a private fee, American Pharoah has three winners from his debut juvenile crop. Besides Saturday's stakes performers, the other is Saqqara King, who struck in a Newmarket novice stakes June 22 for Charlie Appleby and Godolphin.