that really doesn't work as often as you might think. also, altho spirit one came from france, he's got a more american than french pedigree:
http://www.pedigreequery.com/spirit+one2
so does archipenko-a us bred, sired by kingmambo.
http://www.pedigreequery.com/archipenko2
anyway, i read that foreign horses don't really win that often here (i forget the exact percentage), but for some reason we think it happens far more often. but then, even tho randy moss tells us differently every year, many still think that pimlico has tight turns.
it's funny, we hear how euros are so much better, but it seems that often their best came from the bluegrass of kentucky.