There was no traffic trouble for American Pharoah at Monmouth Park Sunday in the William Hill Haskell Invitational.
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Strolling majestically clear from there, the race was quickly over as a contest and he was heavily eased in beating the running-on Keen Ice, taking his winning streak to eight.
Almost two months after becoming just the twelfth Triple Crown victor in a century, American Pharoah claimed first place, pulling ahead of the horse Competitive Edge in the final stretch.
Baffert said it didn’t make sense to run against older horses when there were still big 3-year-old races available, which would seem to make the favorites Saratoga’s Travers or Parx Racing’s Pennsylvania Derby. To skip a race of its magnitude with a horse this great is not just a disservice to Saratoga it would be a disservice to American Pharoah.
“He ran like a champ”, Espinoza said.
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert is leaving nothing to chance as American Pharoah returns to competition for the first time since the colt became the first Triple Crown champion in 37 years. After a 57-day break after the Belmont, the Three-year-old colt appeared higher than ever in profitable his eighth consecutive race. He was there again before Sundays race and now hes won eight Haskells five more than any other trainer. “I was getting pretty nervous”.
The New York Racing Association announced a purse increase for the Grade I Travers from $1.25-million to $1.6-million if Pharoah runs. Time will tell whether that’s true before the Breeders’ Cup Classic, but the plentiful energy Pharoah still had in the tank at the Haskell hints that Espinoza can push him if need be-and that his best may be yet to come.
“As long as American Pharoah is on top of his game … we are just going to play it race by race”. Theres no answer right now, but the options include the Travers at Saratoga on August. 29, the Pennsylvania Derby on September 19, and the Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita on September 26.
Justin wouldn’t comment on what is next for American Pharoah, who will end his career after racing in the $5 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland in Lexington on October. 31. And then, he’s headed down the road to the breeding shed at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud. Espinoza stored his horse in second till halfway on the far flip. Christie has attributed this phenomenon to the notion that “a lot of those people… want me to stay” as governor. Maybe he was thinking of saying the Haskell took some starch out of his horse and that he needed more than four weeks between races. It was also the eighth straight win for American Pharoah, who has had just nine career races. One, Rely Fleet, was retired after the 1943 Belmont with an damage.
However, the fact the Monmouth race would not be a graded one likely eliminates the possibility of American Pharoah coming back to the Shore.
American Pharoah’s presence attracted both a record crowd of 60,983 and an inflated purse, the prize fund having been boosted to $1.75 million from $1m thanks to the presence of the champion.
“I couldn’t believe the crowd, how loud it was”. “It was a great crowd”.
The track opened its doors to fans from 7-8 a.m.to watch the Triple Crown victor take a run over the racing oval. And the horse came through with a truly remarkable performance. “But I’m so proud”. “I was born and raised in New Jersey and am happy to give back to our state”. This is a superstar. “As a trainer, you wait all your lifetime to get one like this”.
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With how dominant American Pharoah was against his seven other competitors in a 2 1/4-length win that wasn’t even that close, he confirmed himself as the prohibitive Breeders’ Cup Classic favorite.
