Adam Hunger/Getty Images A familiar scene, with jockey Victor Espinoza celebrating a win atop American Pharoah. I was probably more nervous before the race than ever before when I ran him.
Advertisement
“Absolutely historical. It’s a once in a lifetime feat and it just feels great to be here”, said Renee Davis. Mr. Zayat told me, ‘you don’t run him unless he’s 100 percent.
American Pharoah became just the 12th horse – and the first in 37 years – to win US racing’s coveted Triple Crown of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont.
Baffert has won the Haskell a record seven times, including four of the last five.
The New York Racing Association announced that it would raise the purse for the Travers Stakes at Saratoga to $1.6 million if American Pharoah ran in the August. 29 race, the Midsummer Derby.
“No clue”, owner Ahmed Zayat said when asked about his colt’s next race. After all, we have years to debate his place in history and only a few months left to actually enjoy watching him do what he does best: run.
Alvarez added that American Pharoah’s keen intelligence on top of his extraordinary talent is what helps set him above. Once the race started, there were murmurs of concern as American Pharoah fell behind Competitive Edge after a slight bobble at the start. Espinoza and his colt seemed to be on a Sunday trail ride as they tracked the front-running Competitive Edge around the first turn and into the second. And then, American Pharoah took off and was all alone in the stretch. He stayed there for the first six furlongs of the race under a good hold from Espinoza. “For me the key was just coming out of there running”.
“The others can’t keep up with the high speed he has”.
Alvarez says “he looks like he could go out there and do it again”.
“He did everything by himself”, the rider said.
“It was pretty easy”, Espinoza said in a stroke of understatement. Racing the first Triple Crown victor since 1978 until the end of the year is a treat for the sport. Similar to the Haskell, the Pennsylvania Derby has a bonus of $50,000 for the winning owner and for the trainer of an entrant that won any Triple Crown race. For his public workout, American Pharoah earned $1.1 million of the $1.75 million purse.
Ralph M. Evans and WinStar Farm’s Upstart headed back to Saratoga on the evening after the race. It’s a great crowd. Tucking my microphone under my arm so that I had a free hand, I reached into my pocket and pulled out my cell phone, joining the thousands of people snapping a picture of the horse with the yellow “4” saddlecloth. The North American breeding sheds are closed for the year, and American Pharoah would be doing a whole lot of nothing if he were retired. When American Pharoah was led into the paddock, the crowds stood 15 deep around the railing, straining to get a cellphone photo of American Pharoah. I’m looking at this horse like, where did he come from?
“Wherever this was, I would’ve gone”, said his buddy, Tom Abogabal.
Everywhere he walked around the track on the New Jersey shore, fans lined up in droves, capturing any glimpse they could get of the superstar.
Advertisement
The Haskell win gave American Pharoah an expense-paid berth in the BC Classic.
