PIONEER OF THE NILE DIES AGED 13

WinStar Farm has announced the death of its stallion Pioneer of The Nile. The 13-year-old died on his way to the clinic, having been in distress after covering a mare. The son of Empire Maker, who was bred and owned by Zayat Stables, sired three Gr.1 winners, most notably the 2015 Eclipse Award Horse of the Year and Triple Crown hero American Pharoah, who was successful eight times at the highest level, as well as Champion Two-Year-Old and triple Gr.1 winner Classic Empire and the Gr.1 Shoemaker Mile Stakes winner Midnight Storm.

Ahmed Zayat said via social media: “Incredibly shocked and saddened by the sudden loss of my Pioneer of The Nile. He was not only my first homebred he was one of my greatest. He was the proud father of American Pharoah and a true sire of sires. The ‘POTN’ will be greatly missed by all of us here at Zayat Stables.” Pioneer of The Nile was himself a Gr.1-winning juvenile, having taken the 1m½f CashCall Futurity at Hollywood Park. At three he went on to win the Gr.1 Santa Anita Derby, as well as the Gr.2 Robert B Lewis Stakes and the Gr.2 San Felipe Stakes, both over 1m½f at Santa Anita, before finishing runner-up in the 2009 Gr.1 Kentucky Derby. He retired to stud at Vinery Kentucky, where he stood for $20,000, before moving to WinStar Farm in 2013, where his fee this year was $110,000. He is out of the Listed La Troienne Stakes winner Star Of Goshen (Lord At War), a half-sister to the Gr.2 Malibu Stakes winner Powis Castle (Rare Brick).

Athens, Pioneer Of the Nile-Little Treasure, bred at Manjri Stud Farm, was the winner of the Bangalore Oaks, Gr.2 in 2015.