Coolmore's Triple Crown hero American Pharoah (USA) gave his former trainer Bob Baffert a stakes double on the weekend with As Time Goes By winning the Group II Santa Margarita Stakes and then promising colt Hudson Ridge followed up on Sunday winning the Listed Cinema Stakes (1 and 1/8th m) at Santa Anita.
A luckless maiden going into the turf contest after placing once from four previous starts, Hudson Ridge was bumped at the start, but took up a stalking position behind the leaders and was strong to the line winning by a length and a quarter for Abel Cedillo to become the 16th stakes-winner for his sire.
"I got to give Abel's agent, Tom Knust, the credit for this one," said Baffert.
"I nominated for the race, but I wasn't planning on running here and he said we should, that the horse had trouble last time and that he'd fit well with these horses. The break, I don't know what happened. It was crazy."
Hudson Ridge was bred by Coolmore partners, but is now raced by Double L Racing and Jill Baffert.
He is the best of three winners from Group III placed Galileo mare Shell House, a half-sister to Group winners Diabolical and What a Name.
Hudson Ridge is the second stakes-winner for American Pharoah bred from a daughter of champion sire Galileo joining Group I placed Group II winner Pista.
The nick offers plenty of promise with six runners so far producing four winners and aside from the two stakes-winners mentioned the other two winners are both Group placed in Monarch of Egypt and Thinking of You.
American Pharoah returns to Australia this spring at a fee of $49,500.
