Champion American Pharoah breezes to impressive victory at Monmouth Park’s

He is expected to make his farewell racing performance in the $5million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky, on October 31 before retiring to Coolmore’s Ashford Stud. The time for three-quarters of a mile was 1:09.3, and it was at that point that American Pharoah flashed his brilliance once again, putting every horse in the field behind him and looking onward down the New Jersey stretch.

Crawford said Keen Ice ran his best race Sunday.

Trainer Bob Baffert, who won his eighth Haskell and his fifth in the last six years, was not ready to commit to where American Pharoah will run next. If Pharoah runs, the purse will be bumped up to $1.6 million, but only if he shows up.

“I couldn’t believe the crowd, how loud it was”, he continued to say in the interview, his voice cracking with emotion.

Triple Crown victor American Pharoah had another easy gallop Saturday morning at Monmouth Park, his final serious exercise before the $1.75 million Haskell Invitational.

“When I run him I was like, shocked”.

American Pharoah allowed the Todd Pletcher-trained Competitive Edge (who won the Hopeful at Saratoga last year) to set the early fractions.

Bryan R. Smith/Bryan R. Smith All eyes are on American Pharoah at Mounmouth Park as Triple Crown victor gets back to work.

“It was pretty easy”, understated Espinoza. That loss came in the Travers to 100-1 long shot Jim Dandy, and reinforced Saratoga’s reputation as the “Graveyard of Favorites”. Then American Pharoah picked off Competitive Edge, claimed the lead he deems his birthright and caused the crowd to wreak a roar to rival the one eight weeks ago at the Belmont Stakes. “Little did he know he had a Triple Crown champion under his saddle”.

There was great pressure this time, Baffert and owner Ahmed Zayat both said. I wanted him sharp today because I knew the pace was going to be fast.

But American Pharoah gave the people much more than that – showing with each effortless stride why he’s a once-in-a-generation horse.

American Pharoah is the best horse I’ve seen in nearly 33 years of covering racing, the ease with which he beats up on good horses.

The scene surrounding the Haskell Invitational race at Monmouth Park, from the paddock to the winners circle.

Everywhere he walked around the track on the New Jersey shore, fans lined up in droves, capturing any glimpse they could get of the superstar.

While Bayern seemed to fight the surface at Saratoga, Baffert doesn’t think that would be a problem for American Pharoah. His colors, turquoise and yellow, were everywhere. “I never like to go head and head with another horse”.

Besides, that’s one of the things that makes American Pharoah so special.

The feat provided an energizing jolt to a sport struggling in the United States, and trainer Bob Baffert admitted Sunday that prepping the colt for his first post-Triple Crown start had been a “nerve-wracking” experience. Espinoza kept his horse in second until midway on the far turn. It is also a gift to the tracks that American Pharoah visits. “But he enjoys it and so it’s fun to really share him with the fans”.

“It’s very rare that I’m speechless, but I am extremely proud”, Zayat said.

Secretariat (1973), Seattle Slew and Affirmed (1978) all became beatable, compiling a combined 5 for 11 record the rest of their 3-year-old campaigns once the spring classics were over.