American Pharoah wins again, takes the Haskell

The NYRA made the announcement on Saturday that is sure to get the attention of the Triple Crown victor, speed sensation’s owner, jockey and trainer. The temperature at post time for the Haskell was 87 degrees. In his first race since, Zayat and trainer Bob Baffert both admitted to massive nervousness over a horse that was a massive favorite, not because he didn’t look healthy and strong and faster than ever, but what if he somehow wound up having a bad trip? Victor Espinoza, the regular rider for the colt, never had to ask the big bay for much.

Inside the eighth pole, he began to throttle down on the colt, who looked like he was jogging home.

The 12,000 reserved tickets for the Haskell sold out rapidly after rumors intensified that American Pharoah would next run at Monmouth Park.

“It was pretty easy”, Espinoza said in a stroke of understatement.

At this point, running American Pharoah against his own generation is nearly unfair.

Jerry Crawford, head of the Donegal Racing syndicate that campaigns Keen Ice, said he’d love to meet American Pharoah at 1¼ miles, the distance of the Travers. Baffert had given American Pharoah seven stout timed workouts since his Belmont victory, each more impressive than the last.

“We have a few racehorses here”, said Horacio de Paz, the farm trainer at Sagamore Farm in Baltimore County. “That was just a monstrous performance”. While American Pharoah missed the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile with a minor injury, Texas Red won the race. 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. No matter what happens in any of those prospective appearances-health permitting, of course-his run at the Haskell is evidence that American Pharoah has the tools to achieve more. He paid $2.20 in what amounted to a $1.1-million public workout with six overmatched pursuers in his first race since the Belmont Stakes on June 6.

Where American Pharoah races next is uncertain with the Travers at Saratoga on August. 29, the Pennsylvania Derby on September 19 and the Awesome Again at Santa Anita on September 26 among the possibilities. The two were scheduled to depart by van Tuesday morning and rejoin the stable atSaratoga.

What we do know is if all goes according to plan, American Pharoah’s final race will be the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky, on October 31.

Then, in response to a question about running Pharoah against older horses, he said, “A lot of it is timing, spacing”. Always, regardless of how many accomplishments we see, we are looking for more. And due to that, there’s an excellent argument to make that he has earned his proper to spend the remainder of his life within the stallion barn, distant from the monitor and the prospect of damage and even dying, which might come due to one thing so simple as a misstep. That would fly in the face of what Baffert has said about wanting two races before the Breeders’ Cup.

“It doesn’t make sense to put him in with the older horses”.

While Bayern seemed to fight the surface at Saratoga, Baffert doesn’t think that would be a problem for American Pharoah. If there weren’t any 3-year-old races left, then he would run with the olders.