WinStar freshman sire Pioneerof the Nile is off to a white-hot start with his first foals. Just five days after River Dancer gave his sire his first winner at Belmont Park, Ari the Adventurer rolled to a 6 3/4-length maiden special weight victory over the same track.
Pioneerof the Nile, whose offspring have been a big hit in the sales rings as well, has a reported 94 2-year-old foals. His first two winners have put him squarely in the top 10 on the Freshman Sire list.
Ari the Adventurer was never really threatened in the 5 1/2-furlong dash, setting a brisk pace of :45.12 for the half-mile with a two length lead, then drawing away with ease in the stretch to hit the wire in 1:03.05, just a second off the track record.
Trained by Todd Pletcher for Stonestreet Stables, the bay filly was a $350,000 purchase by her owner at the OBS Select 2-year-old sale this March. She is out of Wild Catseye, who won the New Jersey Futurity during her 2-year-old season.
