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2014 has been a spectacular year for Pioneerof the Nile. The son of Empire Maker is by far the leading Second Crop Sire with earnings of close to 3.5 million dollars including 5 Graded Stakes winners. This year he had runners in two of three legs of the Triple Crown. During his racing career he ran on all three surfaces, winning on grass and synthetics while running second in The Kentucky Derby on dirt. He is also producing runners who can run well on multiple surfaces. His yearlings have sold for over $400,000 at auction, more than 20 times his stud fee of $20,000. How has Pioneerof the Nile garnered such success so quickly in his brief stallion career and where does he go from here. Let’s examine it by looking at his progeny, his racing career and his pedigree to put the pieces together as to what makes him such a promising young sire.
Progeny
Pioneerof the Nile currently stands for $20,000 at Win Star Farms, but expect that number to go up in 2015. After finishing 2nd as a Freshman Sire in earnings to Dunkirk in 2013, Pioneerof the Nile has come out guns a blazing in his sophomore year so far, leading all Second Crop sires in earnings by close to 1.5 million dollars. His offspring has shown the same brilliance that he displayed on the race track along with the same versatility. His top performer is multiple Grade 1 winner on synthetics and dirt American Pharaohm, who is the leading candidate for favoritism in this year’s upcoming Breeders’Cup Juvenile. He has cracked the 100 Beyer Speed Figure twice, while no other juvenile has reached it once. Here is a look at his most recent performance in the G1 FrontRunner Stakes at Santa Anita:
Pioneerof the Nile’s top earner this year has been Social Inclusion. This horse broke a track record at Gulfstream Park at a mile and a sixteenth in winning by 10 lengths and earning a 111 Beyer Speed Figure. He went on to run 3rd in the G1 Wood Memorial, 3rd in the G1 Preakness Stakes and 3rd in the G2 Woody Stephens Stakes before changing trainers and being diagnosed with an injury that currently has him sidelined. He is known for his speed Pioneerof the Nile’s top all-time earner is Cairo Prince. As a two-year-old he won the G2 Nashua Stakes and finished 2nd by a nose in a hard fought G2 Remsen Stakes. At 3 he was on the Derby trail and won by over 5 lengths in the G2 Holy Bull Stakes where he spotted the field 6 pounds before finishing 4th as the favorite in the G1 Florida Derby. He then injured his front ankle and had to miss the Triple Crown Series. He is due to come back next year. Other top progeny of Pioneerof the Nile include Jojo Warrior (Multiple GSW on dirt and synthetics), Midnight Storm (G2 Del Mar Derby on turf, winner on dirt as well), Vinceremos (G3 Sam F. Davis Stakes, 2nd G2 Tampa Bay Derby) and Conquest Top Gun (multiple stakes winner at Woodbine on synthetics). As you can see his progeny thus far have been pretty impressive in only his second year as a sire, showing both versatility and brilliance. Now let’s look at how well accomplished Pioneerof The Nile was on the race track.
Racing Career
In an article I read in Bloodhorse, Ahmed Zayat (Pioneerof the Nile’s owner) was quoted as saying this about his horse, “Bob was 100% convinced that he was going to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic. That was his target right after the Derby. All he wanted to do was keep him happy and healthy until then. The saddest part is that we hadn’t even seen his full potential. He was a very game horse, but he had a lot speed for a horse that could go long. I’ve had lot of good horses that didn’t make it as far as he did, so at least we got a chance to see how talented he was.”
A big colt standing 16.2 hands, Pioneerof the Nile showed his best form going a mile and longer. He was trained by Bob Baffert. At two he broke his maiden on turf, won the G1 CashCal Futurity on synthetics at a mile and a sixteenth beating I Want Revenge and Chocolate Candy. He also ran 3rd in the G1 Lane’s End Breeders’ Futurity. At 3 he was on the derby trail, winning in succession the G2 Robert B. Lewis Stakes, the G2 San Felipe Stakes and the G1 Santa Anita Derby all on synthetics. In the Santa Anita Derby he was the odds on choice and he changed tactics as a confirmed closer and went and got the lead. In the end he held off a surging Chocolate Candy for a one length win. Now it was on to Churchill Downs but the question was how would he take to dirt for the first time. In the Derby Pioneerof the Nile was in front heading for home but was passed on the rail by Calvin Borel and longshot Mine That Bird who relished the muddy track and won by 6 lengths. Pioneerof the Nile was up for second. Here is the video for the 2009 Kentucky Derby:
Pioneerof the Nile went on to have an off-the-board finish in the Preakness Stakes and was retired that July due to soft tissue injury to his left front leg. He finished with 5 wins (4 Graded), 1 place and 1 show from 10 starts and earnings of over 1.5 million dollars.
Pedigree
As stated before, Pioneerof the Nile is a big colt, with tremendous scope and bone. His pedigree gave him both stamina and speed on the track. He has been able to provide size and classic potential to his offspring so far in his young career. This is probably why his yearlings are doing so well in the auction ring.
Pioneerof the Nile is the leading money-winning son of Empire Maker. Empire Maker was the winner of the G1 Wood Memorial, G1 Florida Derby and the G1 Belmont Stakes. He earned close to 2 million dollars on the track. As a sire Empire Maker passes stamina on to his offspring. His top ones include Bodemeister and Champion Royal Delta. His dad, Unbridled, was no slouch either. He was named Champion Three Year Old after winning the Kentucky Derby and the Breeders’ Cup Classic in 1990 and earned close to 4.5 million dollars while racing. He was also a very successful sire; another one who passed stamina down to his offspring. During his stud career he sired 10 Grade 1 winners, 4 classic winners, and 3 Eclipse Award winners. Empire Maker’s mom, Toussaud, was very special too. A Grade One winner on turf, she was named Broodmare of the Year in 2002 before Empire Maker ever came around.
Looking at his distaff side, Pioneerof the Nile’s dam is Star of Goshen. She only raced 5 times, but displayed brilliance by winning her first 3 races by a combined 27 lengths from 6 1/2 furlongs to a mile, including the 7 furlong La Troienne Stakes by 11 lengths. The fact that she was a half sister to the very good sprinter/miler Powis Castle (G2 Malibu Stakes) confirms a tendency towards speed in her family. Star of Goshen also produced Forefathers, a Graded Stakes Placed sprinter/miler. His dam sire, Lord at War, was a champion miler in Argentina. Upon coming to America he scored a major win in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap at 1 1/4 miles. Lord at War became an excellent broodmare sire, producing classic winners War Emblem (Kentucky Derby, Preakness), Raven’s Pass (Breeders’ Cup Classic) and E Dubuai (Suburban Handicap). His 3rd dam sire, Brigadier General, won 17 of 18 races in Europe including 9 Group 1 races. Pioneerof the Nile has very little inbreeding except a 3X4 cross to important stallion In Reality. He hails from the same family as quality sire Indian Charlie and Preakness winners Tank’s Prospect and Deputed Testamony.
As you can see by looking at his bloodlines Pioneerof the Nile has a blend of brilliance and stamina that worked for him on the racetrack and he is passing this speed and endurance on to the offspring he’s producing.
Summary
Pioneerof the Nile has good looks, progeny who are performing currently at a high level, a great race record and solid bloodlines. This is why horseman from around the world are drawn to him. In 2013, Pioneerof the Nile covered more mares than any other year at stud (142). This number should be on the rise this year. It will be interesting to see how 2-year-old phenom American Pharoah performs in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Pioneerof the Nile did not nearly have as many 2 year old runners when compared to other sires yet sits 19th in total earnings. Once he has more runners in the upcoming years I can see him moving way up these rankings. After Cairo Prince won the Holy Bull Stakes, Goldophin purchased a share of him. And when Social Inclusion won his allowance race his owners rejected an 8 million dollar offer for the horse. In my eyes this shows the quality of runners Pioneerof the Nile is putting out there. They win big races on all surfaces and can compete at classic distances. With the ingredients he possesses as a sire I can see him being bred to classy mares and showing strength as a sire for the years ahead. What young sire do you see emerging in the upcoming years and why?
Regal Bloodlines 
I’ve got to say I’m impressed with both your site and your knowledge of the game.I picked up on you from Paceadvantage.Great pick Saturday in the Frizzette.I did not play that day but would have at the very least been an include.I saw 2 bloodlines with class and stamina also.Indian Charlie has to be the only stallion out right now that traces directly through to Nasrullah without the Bold Ruler route.
To your question about a young stud possibly being an up and comer.I’m new to pedigree overall.Have played the game since 96 but really knew I needed to get more into pedigree only a year and a half ago.I had too many questions!That sets up that I know I have holes in my thinking on it but here goes!The young stallion that fascinates me is Concord Point.That Tapit/Pulpit line of AP Indy is gold right now and this could be the next big guy.I was doing a simple exercise of sorting stallions out by their class/stamina ranks by Progressivehandicapping(Helm/Mazur) and doing their male/female lines just to get familiarity with family lines and basic crosses.Seeing his damn being Havre De Grace just blew me away!From what I can see is he has 4 winners from 9 starters and Im intrigued by his son Nolan’s dream who just broke his maiden,out of a More Than Ready mare.I haven’t studied his femaly family or siblings at all but just wanted to throw it out there and get your take on him.Been reading the site for about 2 weeks and had to chime in!My screen name on PA was Cincyhorseplayer.I don’t post anymore due to issues I had with a few posters but read every week.Anyway great site Bob.I’ll be here checking you out!Take care,
Rod
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Thank you for the compliments and for commenting on my blog. Rod. I’m glad to hear that you have turned yourself on to pedigree study. Most people find that it is to laborious to invest their time into but as you and I know it can be a useful handicapping angle as well as a nice way to learn about horses of days past. Concord Point looks like an interesting Freshman Sire. So far with 2 stakes winners out of only 18 runners that is nice. His race record was excellent and his pedigree is superb-he should have no problem attracting quality mares to breed with him. As Tonalist, California Chrome, and Untappable have shown Having Pulpit as a grand sire is a good angle. And Havre De Grace as a dam gives Concord Point plenty of class. Please follow my blog so you can see whenever I post a new article. Thanks again.
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I enjoy your articles and you show a lot of familiarity with pedigrees. I am not so much aware and I am trying to learn more in order to de-select candidates for the Kentucky Derby since distance limitations are not discernible from race experience as none have ever gone the 1 1/4 distance. I read and commented on your American Pharoah essay.
In a small correction, I would like to point out you meant Brigadier Gerard. He beat Mill Reef in their only meeting but it was at a mile and Mill Reef might have preferred longer. I recently learned Mill Reef is in the pedigree of one of the candidates for the 2015 Kentucky Derby but I will have to look it up to see which one. I was surprised to know Mill Reef was bred in the US. By Never Bend out of Milan Mill by Princequillo, Mill Reef was similar in breeding to Secretariat.
I read Laurie Ross’s comments and she was of the same opinion, mistaken as it was, that California Chrome would not get the Derby distance. I was confident however, that he would not do Belmont’s 1 1/2 miles and wish I had bet, although I thought Commanding Curve would have done better after his surprise second at CD. Tonalist is by Tapit and I generally consider Tapits are suspect at 1 1/4 let alone a mile and a half. I think Tonalist had stamina from the dam’s side.
I wonder if you will be doing an article about the best Derby candidates if the track comes up wet, according to breeding. I remember being gob-smacked, as many were, when Mine That Bird galloped home the winner in the mud. Maybe some insight into his off-track breeding would have helped me pick him.
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Mubtaahij is inbred to Mill Reef. Tonalist did win the Belmont Derby because of the stamina on his distaff side…that is where you’ll find stamina. I’m glad you are liking my articles. I probably won’t be doing an article on off-tracks…maybe a brief one. You can find that information in the DRF or Brisnet past performances. In the DRF it is a Wet Tomlinson number, the higher the number, the more likely to perform well. Same with the Brisnet figure. Hope that helps.
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