The race was American Pharoah’s first victory since winning the Triple Crown in June, according to CBS New York.
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Trainer Bob Baffert captured his record-extending eighth Haskell win in the $1.75 million race, and an fantastic fifth in the last six years.
“I love bringing my horse here, ” Baffert said.
Like many tracks around the country, Monmouth Park has coped with economic uncertainty in recent years, but for one day at least, American Pharoah’s star power was enough to push those worries to the side.
If the decision is made to allow American Pharoah to race with older horses, there is the $1-million Pacific Classic for 3-year-olds and up on August 22 and others. There’s no guarantee where he’s going to run next because he has to tell me, ‘Hey, I’m ready.
With a large crowd cheering him on at Monmouth Park, American Pharoah came around the final turn and then took off from the field and cruised to a 2 1/4-length victory under jockey Victor Espinoza without any urging.
Following the Haskell, American Pharoah’s immediate plans are still up in the air but the goal is to race in the prestigious Breeders Cup in Lexington at the end of October.
$100,000 Lady’s Secret. Saratoga’s runaway leading trainer Todd Pletcher and Monmouth’s leading rider, Paco Lopez, teamed up to win the race named for the Hall of Fame filly with P.J. Steinberg and Hill ‘N Dale Equine’s Got Lucky.
American Pharoah’s time of 1:47 4/5 was just over the Haskell stakes record of 1:47 flat (held jointly by Majestic Light and Bet Twice) and one seconds slower than the track record of 1:46 4/5 set by Spend a Buck in 1985 and equaled by Jolie’s Halo in 1992.
The official winning margin over late-running Keen Ice may have been only two and a quarter lengths but given that American Pharoah was geared down by the time he hit the wire – imagine Usain Bolt coasting home – the distance could have been multiplied several times over. American Pharoah lopes faster than most horses who are all-out. 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.
The 4-year-old filly was sent postward as the prohibitive 1 to 2 favorite and ran to her betting odds.
“It’s very rare that I’m speechless”, said owner Ahmed Zayat.
What was good about Sunday’s success was that the “right” horses (i.e. those with the best credentials) came to the fore. “It was pretty easy”.
“The last thing we want to do is embarrass the horse”, Baffert said. The Triple Crown hero used E-ZPass in the $1.75-million Haskell Invitational while his opponents scrambled for loose change. “As a trainer, you wait all your lifetime to get one like this”.
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While it sure would be nice to see American Pharoah at Saratoga in the Midsummer Derby, the spacing before the Breeders’ Cup would be nine weeks. “I couldn’t be happier that this is happening in the great state of New Jersey”. The losers? Seattle Slew finished fourth behind J.O. Tobin in the 1977 Swaps Stakes, Omaha ran third to Discovery in the 1935 Brooklyn Handicap, and Sir Barton was second to Purchase in the 1919 Dwyer.
