American Pharoah’s Stars and Strides Impresses in Saranac

Kicking off his career earlier this summer at Saratoga, Stars and Strides (3c American Pharoah x Holiday Blues, by Ghostzapper) has had a busy few months but won his third race since June 6 on Monday with a stakes debut victory in the Saranac Stakes.

Racing each of the last four months, Stars and Strides went off as the favorite in the 1 1/16-mile turf race and was well-placed just off the leader by Junior Alvarado. Closely tracking the two horses in front of him from an inside position down the backstretch, he was angled out around the turn before going back to that rail spot in upper stretch.

Taking advantage of a hole, he grabbed the lead in the final furlong and then shook clear in the final sixteenth. The colt won by an easy 1 ¼ lengths to become the final stakes winner of the 2025 Saratoga meet.

A $475,000 Keeneland September Yearling purchase by Pin Oak Stud, the colt trained by Bill Mott has won three of his four starts. That first victory came on dirt before Stars and Strides moved to turf for his last two starts.

Bred by Four Pillars Holdings, Stars and Strides is the second stakes winner for three-time victress Holiday Blues. That mare’s three winners from three to race also include the stakes winning Panther Island, who has won six races in his career.

Holiday Blues is one of eight winners from nine to race out of dual stakes winner Deputy Cures Blues, who also produced four-time stakes winner and Grade I-placed Wine Police and stakes placed moon Traveler.

American Pharoah is the sire of six stakes winners and 23 stakes performers in 2025 with those 23 stakes performers putting him sixth among all North American sires.