Triple Crown king Pharoah still reigns

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.

“It’s very rare I’m speechless”, said owner-breeder Ahmed Zayat, who lives in New Jersey. Haskell Invitational on Sunday in his first race since sweeping the Triple Crown.

The win by Pharoah in the Haskell was the eighth victory by a Baffert-trained colt out of 12 starts, and clocked in the fifth Haskell victory for Bob Baffert in the last six years.

It was billed as the biggest day of horse racing in the Garden State’s history, and it met expectations- all thanks to American Pharoah.

Del Mar’s $1 million Pacific Classic against older horses on August. 22 comes too soon, and Baffert has sounded leery of the new track surface.

“He ran like the Triple Crown victor”, Espinoza said.

The scene surrounding the Haskell Invitational race at Monmouth Park, from the paddock to the winners circle. Installed as a 1-9 wager before the starting gates opened, American Pharoah lived up to his top billing.

And American Pharoah is uncomplicated. That would fly in the face of what Baffert has said about wanting two races before the Breeders’ Cup. But it was Competitive Edge who took the early lead.

“Wherever this was, I would’ve gone”, said his buddy, Tom Abogabal.

American Pharoah has not yet had a chance to take on his elders, although there is little doubt that the horse who continues to win with his head in his chest could be capable of any amount of improvement.

After his Triple Crown sweep (he won the Withers between the Preakness and Belmont), Omaha ran third in the Brooklyn Handicap. “He’s a brilliant race horse and we have to see how he bounces out of this”.

The race has attracted nine Derby winners over the years, in part because it’s one of the most lucrative options on the summer circuit.

“He ran like a champ”, Espinoza said. Trainer Bob Baffert could hardly hold his emotions.

The winning payoff was just $2.20, $2.10, $2.10 after American Pharoah went off at 1-10 odds. For his public workout, American Pharoah earned $1.1 million of the $1.75 million purse. “We want that horse, every time I lead him up here, I want to feel good about it, that we’re doing the right thing”.

The clock is ticking to October. 31 and the running of the Grade I $5-million Breeders’ Cup Classic, slated to be American Pharoah’s last race before he retires to the breeding shed.

The Eddie Kenneally-trainee boosted his lifetime record to seven wins from 18 starts and has banked $627,732 for owner Joseph F. Sutton.

But American Pharoah gave the people much more than that – showing with each effortless stride why he’s a once-in-a-generation horse. Fans roared as American Pharoah first stepped onto the track to the full-throated strains of the Haskell anthem, Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run“, and then watched him float around the racetrack as the others flailed to keep up. I had predicted back in June, before he announced his post-Triple Crown race plans, that he’d likely stay on the west coast to show him off to the hometown fans, but that may be a long shot at this point.