Pioneerof the Nile facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pioneerof the Nile
Pioneerof the Nile at WinStar Farm
Sire	Empire Maker
Grandsire	Unbridled
Dam	Star of Goshen
Damsire	Lord at War
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	May 5, 2006
Died	March 18, 2019(2019-03-18) (aged 12) WinStar Farm Versailles, Kentucky
Country	United States
Color	Dark Bay/Brown
Breeder	Zayat Stables
Owner	Zayat Stables
Trainer	Bob Baffert
Record	10: 5–1–1
Earnings	US$1,634,200
Major wins
CashCall Futurity (2008) Robert B. Lewis Stakes (2009) San Felipe Stakes (2009) Santa Anita Derby (2009) American Classic Race placing: Kentucky Derby 2nd (2009)

Pioneerof the Nile (born May 5, 2006 – died March 18, 2019) was a famous American Thoroughbred racehorse. He finished second in the exciting 2009 Kentucky Derby.

He is also very well known for being the father (sire) of two amazing horses. One was American Pharoah, who won the rare Triple Crown in 2015. The other was Classic Empire, who was named the best 2-Year-Old Colt in 2016.

About Pioneerof the Nile

Pioneerof the Nile was a dark brown horse born in Kentucky, USA. His owner, Zayat Stables, also bred him.

His father was Empire Maker, who won the 2003 Belmont Stakes. His mother, Star of Goshen, was also a winning racehorse.

During his racing days, he was trained by two different people. First, he worked with Bill Mott. Later, he was trained by the famous Bob Baffert.

His name, Pioneerof the Nile, is a bit unusual. This is because horse names can only be 18 characters long. So, the owners had to remove a space between "Pioneer" and "of."

In 2007, when he was a young horse, his owners tried to sell him. But they didn't get enough money, so they decided to keep him. He grew up to be a tall horse, standing about 16.2 hands high.

Racing Adventures

Pioneerof the Nile running in the 2009 Kentucky Derby

2008: His First Races

Pioneerof the Nile started his racing career on August 4, 2008. He ran in a race at Saratoga and finished fourth.

In his next race on August 25, he started slowly but then sped up. He took the lead and won by a length!

He then raced in the Grade I Breeders' Futurity Stakes. He started last but made a big move to finish third. After that, he ran in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, finishing fifth.

After these races, his owners decided to switch trainers. They sent him to Bob Baffert. His first race with Baffert was the CashCall Futurity on December 20. He was the favorite to win. He started in fifth place, then moved up and battled another horse to win by a head. His jockey, Garrett Gomez, said he liked to wait for other horses to come near him before trying harder.

2009: Three-Year-Old Season

Pioneerof the Nile began 2009 in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes. He started in sixth place but charged forward to win by half a length. His trainer, Baffert, was surprised by how well he ran.

Next, he won the San Felipe Stakes easily. He took the lead and won by over a length. Baffert said he was "becoming very professional."

On April 4, he raced in the Santa Anita Derby. He took the lead and held on to win by a length. His jockey, Gomez, said he was hard to hold back during the race.

Then came the big one: the Kentucky Derby on May 2. This was his first race on a dirt track, as his previous races were on grass or synthetic surfaces. Baffert believed he would do well on dirt. The track was wet and muddy.

Pioneerof the Nile started well and settled in third place. He made his move around the final turn and briefly took the lead. But then, a long-shot horse named Mine That Bird came from behind and won. Pioneerof the Nile bravely held on to finish second.

He then ran in the Preakness Stakes on May 16. He started well but faded during the race, finishing eleventh.

Breeding Career

Pioneerof the Nile stopped racing in July 2009 because of an injury. He then became a "stud" horse, meaning he was used for breeding. He started his breeding career in 2010.

His first group of baby horses (foals) started racing in 2013. Some of them, like Cairo Prince and Social Inclusion, showed promise.

In 2014, he became the father of American Pharoah. American Pharoah became incredibly famous in 2015 by winning the U.S. Triple Crown. This made Pioneerof the Nile a very popular father horse.

In 2016, another one of his sons, Classic Empire, won important races like the Breeders' Futurity Stakes and Breeders' Cup Juvenile. He was also named the best 2-Year-Old Colt.

Pioneerof the Nile lived at WinStar Farm. Because his children were so successful, the price to breed with him (called a stud fee) went up a lot!

Famous Children

Here are some of his most famous children:

His Passing

On March 18, 2019, Pioneerof the Nile started feeling unwell after breeding a mare. WinStar Farm quickly prepared to take him to the vet. Sadly, he passed away on the way to the clinic. A checkup later showed that he had suffered a heart attack.

Race Record