Triple Crown winner American Pharoah cruises to Haskell victory

The first Triple Crown victor in 37 years had won eight consecutive races.

“There’s a lot of pressure now with this horse”, trainer Bob Baffert said after winning the Haskell for a record eighth time, and out of 12 starters.

Officially, Keen Ice was 2¼ lengths back.

American Pharoah easily won the William Hill Haskell Invitational starting from the No. 4 position.

2015 Triple Crown victor American Pharoah will race at Monmouth Park on Sunday and is a clear favorite over the field.

Pharoah fever was in the air, to the tune of Jersey rocker Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run“. He went off as a 1-9 favorite. I might as well put a Global Positioning System on him.

“No clue”, American Pharoah proprietor Ahmed Zayat stated when requested about his colt’s subsequent race.

“That was nerve-racking”, trainer Bob Baffert said. The track was fast, the surface to his liking, and with the field whittled to just seven by the time the horses left the gate, it was a prime setting for his 3-year-old bay colt to dominate.

The only moment they were not cheering was when Gov. Chris Christie was introduced in the winner’s circle. Baffert and Zayat surprised no one after the Haskell Invitational by not committing to the location of the horse’s next race.

American Pharoah is racing’s lone transcendent star. There was no 37-year-old hex to break, no Triple Crown to win. “He’s the best horse I’ve ever personally run against”. In 1981, the race changed format, becoming an invitation-only race for three-year-olds. And, other than the 82, his foundation figures (at least two races around the same final figure) is closer to 73. He’s a handsome animal who, unlike many of his racehorse counterparts, likes people and loves the attention. He’s got his hay bag on the plane and we give him plenty of water. “Oh yeah, I want to see him”.

“There are a lot of options out there”, Baffert noted. “We want that horse that every time we lead him up here, that we’re doing the right thing”, said the Hall of Fame trainer. Baffert hinted that he will avoid running against older horses until the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Halloween, likely the final race of his career. After which, he is headed down the street to the breeding shed at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud.

Even Secretariat lost, more than once. In addition to pulling off the elusive Triple Crown trifecta on short rest, American Pharoah proved Sunday a long layoff wasn’t going to make him rusty.

This triumph only bolsters American Pharoah’s legendary legacy.

“Keith’s always said it would be nicer to wait until the Breeders’ Cup before that matchup (with American Pharoah), but it’s inevitable, so why not?”

“The definition of great is not when you say it, but when everyone in the world says it”, Baffert said.

Maybe it’s the hot dogs after all. The purse, bolstered from $1 million to $1.75 million last week, was the largest in New Jersey racing history and greater than those for the Preakness or Belmont.

For now, the horse’s connections are more comfortable talking about their good fortune.

“I was so nervous today”, Baffert said.

Wonder if he took one for the road.

Espinoza’s take? “He ran like a champ”.