The $151,000 Listed Melair Stakes (1 and 1/16th m) at Santa Anita on Saturday was won by progressive filly Fi Fi Pharoah , a three year-old daughter of Coolmore’s Triple Crown hero American Pharoah (USA).
Trained by Walther Solis, Fi Fi Pharoah made her debut in March and has made good improvement since with a stakes placing and a win ahead of this benchmark performance.
Fi Fi Pharoah found herself last in the run, but finished with great determination for Umberto Rispoli to win by half a length with ears pricked taking her overall record to two wins and two placings from five starts with prizemoney just shy of $180,000.
A homebred for Californian breeder Terry Lovingier, Fif Fi Pharoah is the best of two winners from stakes-winning Ghostzapper mare My Fiona.
"Last time, it worked for her with Rispoli," said Solis, referring to her previous maiden win for the jockey.
"I didn't think we would get beat this time. She just ran from the three-eighths, she knows when she has to speed up. When she got in front, she started waiting for everybody. She's a classy filly. I knew the filly was coming in 100%. I told Terry, 'We got the filly.'"
Fi Fi Pharoah is the 17th stakes-winner for American Pharoah, who returns to Australia this spring at a fee of $49,500.
