With big viewership expected for American Pharoah’s attempt to win the first-ever Grand Slam in his final race, NBC Sports is pulling out all the stops for its coverage of the 32nd Breeders’ Cup this weekend at Keeneland in Lexington, KY.
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Golden Horn succumbed to Arabian Queen in the Juddmonte worldwide due to a poor ride from Frankie Dettori, while American Pharoah and Frosted completed together the fastest final half a mile in Travers Stakes history in August before Keen Ice came and picked up the pieces.
American Pharoah will break from the fourth post in a nine-horse field. On Saturday, broadcast and betting will be provided for races 1 to 11 of the twelve-race meeting.
The Breeder’s Cup Pick 6 pool on Saturday will have a guaranteed pool of $2 million. He’s the only Triple Crown victor to have the opportunity to compete in a Breeders’ Cup, which started in 1984.
Local pools will host Pick 4s (Jackpots), swingers and trifectas. He has been through an incredible schedule, with shipping and running, and shipping and running, and going everywhere, and now he’s still here.
Mike Watchmaker, a national handicapper for the Daily Racing Form, said American Pharoah’s Triple Crown journey and the decision by his owners, the Zayat family, and Baffert, to keep racing him have been good for the sport. I try to sit right next to him. However, eight horses that came up short in France’s premier race have emerged victorious from the Turf. The 3-year-old son of Cape Cross, the 4-5 morning-line favorite in the $3 million Turf, has four Grade I victories and goes into Saturday’s race off a two-length victory in the Prix de l’Arc Triomphe on October 4.
“I still firmly believe he’s the best horse I’ve seen since Spectacular Bid”, Young said.
“Do you think American Pharoah’s gonna do it?”, asked Johnson.
The turf race on Thursday’s card was switched to the dirt and John Gosden said: “It is soft, good to soft in places”.
“He couldn’t do anything better (working out), but I don’t know if that’s enough to win”, McLaughlin said Thursday. Owner Ron Winchell announced the scratch Tuesday on Twitter, calling it “very disappointing after preparing all year for a repeat”.
“Just watching him work yesterday … it hits me when I talk about it. But he’s been terrific to us, so it’s going to be sad”, Baffert said in a video posted by the Lexington Herald-Leader. She runs well on the lead, but jockey Alex Solis excels at taking horses back too.
A few of the Marion-connected horses in the Distaff include Frivolous, broken at Wavertree Stales by Ciaran and Amy Dunne; Stopchargingmaria, an OBS graduate; Calamity Kate, broken and trained by Eisaman Equine; Got Lucky, broken by Woods; Sheer Drama, bred by Harold Queen; and Peace and War, bred at Ocala’s River Mist Farm by Sally Andersen.
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“It’s going to be tough”, Baffert said. After the Classic, American Pharoah will remain in Kentucky, where he will stand at stud. Today I’ll be in a free handicapping seminar at 12:30 p.m.at Sam’s Town with Ralph Siraco of Race Day Las Vegas.
