PIONEEROF THE NILE CONTINUES WINNING WAYS

PIONEEROF THE NILE EARNS THIRD CONSECUTIVE GRADED STAKES WIN IN SAN FELIPE

Article taken from the Thoroughbred Times Today by Jeff Apel

Highly regarded classic hopeful Pioneerof the Nile (EMPIRE MAKER) seized command approaching the stretch and earned his third consecutive graded stakes victory in a 11⁄4-length win in the $200,000 San Felipe Stakes (Grade 2) on Saturday at Santa Anita Park. 

A Zayat Stables homebred trained by Bob Baffert, Pioneerof the Nile (EMPIRE MAKER) entered off a half-length win in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (Grade 2) on February 7 at Santa Anita. The EMPIRE MAKER colt concluded his two-year old campaign with a nose win in the CashCall Futurity (Grade 1) on December 20 at Hollywood Park.

Pioneerof the Nile (EMPIRE MAKER) raced in fifth through an opening quarter-mile in :23.96 under Garrett Gomez. Moving up three wide, the colt tracked pacesetter New Bay in second through a half-mile in :48.60 and six furlongs in 1:12.82.

Quickly gaining command on the turn, Pioneerof the Nile (EMPIRE MAKER) remained clear of runner-up Feisty Suances in the stretch and won the 11⁄16-mile race in 1:43.35 on Santa Anita’s synthetic Polytrack surface.
 
“He was nice and settled going into the first turn and I was happy with my position, but they slowed it down and I didn’t want to have to take too much hold and go as slow as they were going,” Gomez said. “When they turned down the backside, I moved him out, hoping that maybe the others would pick it up, but they didn’t, so I just went on with it.”

Baffert expects Pioneerof the Nile (EMPIRE MAKER) to make his next start in the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby (Grade 1), a 11⁄8-mile race on April 4 that could also include fellow West Coast-based classic candidate The Pamplemousse.  “This will tighten the screws up for the Santa Anita Derby,” Baffert said. 

Pioneerof the Nile (EMPIRE MAKER) posted his fourth win in seven career starts and increased his earnings to $784,200.

Date: 15 March 2009