Historical Case for an American Pharoah Coronation
ELMONT, N.Y. – Racing fans can live with a champion whose tail is too short and who is so sensitive to crowd noise that the trainer must stuff his ears with cotton. They will gladly forgive those quirks – and perhaps delight in them – if American Pharoah can end the longest drought in Triple Crown history.
This is the 14th time that a horse won both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes since Affirmed completed the elusive trifecta in 1978 to emerge as the 11th Triple Crown winner. It is fair to say that hopes have never been higher for the long-awaited breakthrough to occur.
American Pharoah will take a six-race winning streak into the Belmont Stakes on Saturday and comes off a seven-length romp in the Preakness Stakes, the greatest margin since Triple Crown hopeful Smarty Jones broke away from the field by 11 ½ lengths in 2004. The only blemish on his record can easily be forgiven — it came in his debut.
Trainers rave about the ease with which American Pharoah covers ground. His own conditioner, Bob Baffert, said he all but floats over the track. Dallas Stewart, who trains Preakness runner-up and Belmont entrant Tale of Verve, is among those who has taken time from a hectic schedule to watch American Pharoah gallop in the mornings, to watch poetry in motion.
“The horse trains beautifully,” Stewart said. “He is awesome to watch train.”
American Pharoah has shown that he can win on a variety of tracks. He runs well on a fast track. He really runs well on a wet surface, as he demonstrated with easy victories in the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park and in the Preakness at Pimlico Race Course. No rain is forecast.
He compares favorably with other recent Triple Crown winners in accomplishments and style. He was honored as the 2-year-old champion despite missing the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile with an injury. Six of the last seven Triple Crown winners also were saluted as top 2-year-olds. With his early speed, he is reminiscent of the last three horses to complete the sweep: Secretariat (1973), Seattle Slew (1977) and Affirmed (1978).
American Pharoah answered a huge question in the Kentucky Derby by prevailing in a tremendous battle with Firing Line. They virtually matched strides down the Churchill Downs stretch in a test of talent and heart. American Pharoah edge ahead in the final strides of the 1 ¼-mile thriller.
It appears that the only horse that can stop American Pharoah would be American Pharoah. Counting the Arkansas Derby, the Belmont represents his fourth race in eight weeks. That is a staggering workload by today’s standards, and it would be understandable if he has nothing left to give.
Jockey Victor Espinoza is taking his third shot at a Triple Crown and second in as many years. Espinoza said he realized very quickly last year that it was not meant to be for California Chrome. The energy level he needed simply wasn’t there in the Belmont.
“I learned if the horse is not ready, there is not much I can do,” he said.
Baffert fell short of the historic sweep with Silver Charm (1997), Real Quiet (1998) and War Emblem (2002). He understands the magnitude of the 1 ½-mile challenge.
“You’re going to get a lot of people making runs at you,” he said. “You know you’re the target, and we understand that.
Baffert has done everything possible to prepare American Pharoah for the race of a lifetime. The colt produced two crackling workouts at Churchill Downs, the more recent of them coming Monday, when he blazed five furlongs in 1:00.20 beneath the Twin Spires.
“My job is to have him prepared so he can bring his ‘A’ game,” Baffert said, “because if he doesn’t bring his ‘A’ game, it doesn’t matter how Victor rides him.”
The moment of truth is almost at hand, and a coronation is long overdue.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Racing fans can live with a champion whose tail is too short and who is so sensitive to crowd noise that the trainer must stuff his ears with cotton. They will gladly forgive those quirks – and perhaps delight in them – if American Pharoah can end the longest drought in Triple Crown history.
This is the 14th time that a horse won both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes since Affirmed completed the elusive trifecta in 1978 to emerge as the 11th Triple Crown winner. It is fair to say that hopes have never been higher for the long-awaited breakthrough to occur.
American Pharoah will take a six-race winning streak into the Belmont Stakes on Saturday and comes off a seven-length romp in the Preakness Stakes, the greatest margin since Triple Crown hopeful Smarty Jones broke away from the field by 11 ½ lengths in 2004. The only blemish on his record can easily be forgiven — it came in his debut.
Trainers rave about the ease with which American Pharoah covers ground. His own conditioner, Bob Baffert, said he all but floats over the track. Dallas Stewart, who trains Preakness runner-up and Belmont entrant Tale of Verve, is among those who has taken time from a hectic schedule to watch American Pharoah gallop in the mornings, to watch poetry in motion.
“The horse trains beautifully,” Stewart said. “He is awesome to watch train.”
American Pharoah has shown that he can win on a variety of tracks. He runs well on a fast track. He really runs well on a wet surface, as he demonstrated with easy victories in the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park and in the Preakness at Pimlico Race Course. No rain is forecast.
He compares favorably with other recent Triple Crown winners in accomplishments and style. He was honored as the 2-year-old champion despite missing the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile with an injury. Six of the last seven Triple Crown winners also were saluted as top 2-year-olds. With his early speed, he is reminiscent of the last three horses to complete the sweep: Secretariat (1973), Seattle Slew (1977) and Affirmed (1978).
American Pharoah answered a huge question in the Kentucky Derby by prevailing in a tremendous battle with Firing Line. They virtually matched strides down the Churchill Downs stretch in a test of talent and heart. American Pharoah edge ahead in the final strides of the 1 ¼-mile thriller.
It appears that the only horse that can stop American Pharoah would be American Pharoah. Counting the Arkansas Derby, the Belmont represents his fourth race in eight weeks. That is a staggering workload by today’s standards, and it would be understandable if he has nothing left to give.
Jockey Victor Espinoza is taking his third shot at a Triple Crown and second in as many years. Espinoza said he realized very quickly last year that it was not meant to be for California Chrome. The energy level he needed simply wasn’t there in the Belmont.
“I learned if the horse is not ready, there is not much I can do,” he said.
Baffert fell short of the historic sweep with Silver Charm (1997), Real Quiet (1998) and War Emblem (2002). He understands the magnitude of the 1 ½-mile challenge.
“You’re going to get a lot of people making runs at you,” he said. “You know you’re the target, and we understand that.
Baffert has done everything possible to prepare American Pharoah for the race of a lifetime. The colt produced two crackling workouts at Churchill Downs, the more recent of them coming Monday, when he blazed five furlongs in 1:00.20 beneath the Twin Spires.
“My job is to have him prepared so he can bring his ‘A’ game,” Baffert said, “because if he doesn’t bring his ‘A’ game, it doesn’t matter how Victor rides him.”
The moment of truth is almost at hand, and a coronation is long overdue.
