It was striking to see Clever Again show talent on dirt with a blowout triumph over Grade 1 winner Gaming in the one-mile Hot Springs S.

There’s no doubt Clever Again is bred for success at a high level, and classic distances like the 1 3/16-mile journey he’ll tackle in the Preakness (G1) are likely within reach. But truth be told, Clever Again’s pedigree suggests he has greater potential on turf than dirt.

Clever Again is a son of American Pharoah, a standout dirt racer whose victories in the 2015 Kentucky Derby (G1), Preakness, and Belmont (G1) made him the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years. American Pharoah won Grade 1 races over six different distances—seven furlongs, 1 1/16 miles, 1 1/8 miles, 1 3/16 miles, 1 1/4 miles, and 1 1/2 miles—and expectations were high when he retired to stud.

American Pharoah has largely delivered as a stallion, siring a bevy of Grade 1 and Group 1 winners over various distances and surfaces. A handful have shown success as sprinters and milers on dirt, including Beholder Mile (G1) winner As Time Goes By, two-time February (G1) conqueror Cafe Pharoah, and six-furlong Bing Crosby (G1) winner American Theorem.

However, American Pharoah has sired a larger number of top-tier winners on turf. They include some of his best route racers, like Australia Derby (G1) winner Riff Rocket, Prix Saint-Alary (G1) heroine Above the Curve, and New York (G1) conqueror Marketsegmentation, all of whom achieved their signature successes over distance from 2,000 meters (about 1 1/4 miles) to 2,400 meters (about 1 1/2 miles). Also, Harvey’s Lil Goil, nabbed the 1 1/8-mile Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) before placing third by a neck in the 1 3/16-mile Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1).

Two sons of American Pharoah—Arkansas Derby (G1) runner-up Publisher and Fukuryu S. winner Luxor Cafe—competed in the 2025 Kentucky Derby. But neither relished racing 1 1/4 miles over a sloppy track against a large field, and they both tired in the final quarter-mile to finish 12th and 14th.

On the whole, sons and daughters of American Pharoah find more success running long when they’re competing on turf rather than dirt. And the bottom half of Clever Again’s pedigree provides an additional strong dose of turf stamina.

Clever Again’s dam is Flattering, an Irish-bred mare who won the 1 1/2-mile Munster Oaks (G3) on grass. As a daughter of Galileo out of Pikaboo, Flattering is a full-sister to Love, an elite grass racer who won the Epsom Oaks (G1), Yorkshire Oaks (G1), Prince of Wales’s (G1), 1000 Guineas (G1), and Moyglare Stud (G1) over distances from seven furlongs to 1 1/2 miles.

Galileo, of course, is one of the most successful stallions of the 21st century. Winner of England’s historic Epsom Derby (G1), as well as the Irish Derby (G1) and King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Diamond (G1), Galileo was a top-tier competitor over 1 1/2 miles on grass, and he’s often reproduced himself at stud.

Galileo's list of elite grass routers goes on… and on… and on. He’s sired over 100 Group 1 winners, a staggering achievement. To detail them all would require a book, but suffice to say, Galileo has sired a record-setting five winners of the Epsom Derby.

Unsurprisingly, given his massive success siring turf horses, Galileo is not a source of dirt prowess. He struggled over the surface when finishing sixth in the 2001 Breeders’ Cup Classic and his progeny have gone 0-for-5 competing on dirt at the Breeders’ Cup. None have finished higher than seventh, and those disappointing showings include sound defeats in the Breeders’ Cup Classic from the excellent turf milers Gleneagles and Churchill.

Should Clever Again try turf at some point in his career, the sky is the limit for his potential. The cross of American Pharoah with a Galileo mare has already yielded Above the Curve, and it’s easy to envision Clever Again excelling as a grass racer over 1 1/4 miles and perhaps farther.

With this in mind, the talent Clever Again has displayed on dirt is eye-catching. Perhaps, like other dirt-oriented sons and daughters of American Pharoah, he’ll prove best racing one mile or so. But there’s also a chance Clever Again has hit the genetic lottery, combining the best of American Pharoah’s dirt proficiency with the stamina of Galileo to emerge as an extraordinary dirt route racer. Only time will tell.

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