The rumors about the death of horse racing have been somewhat exaggerated. While it’s no secret we have our issues, and some easily identifiable areas that need improvement, horse racing isn’t dead. In fact I’d argue these are some glorious times in this great game. At least part of that is owed to our first Triple Crown winner in thirty seven years, American Pharoah. This sleek, fast, well-built colt continues to deliver one awe inspiring performance after another. It’s special to watch for any lover of the breed, game, or athletic superiority.
I say in part because American Pharoah is not the only world class race horse we have had the pleasure of watching recently. Think about it, in just the past few years we have enjoyed some truly great horses by any standards. Rachel Alexandra had a three year old filly campaign that ranks with the best of them. Zenyatta may have even been better than her when push comes to shove. Wise Dan is as diversified a top stakes horse as you’ll find. Is there a distance or surface he would not at least be competitive on against top competition? How about Beholder who doesn’t get the credit she deserves but is one top class filly. She’s been top class at all ages thus far and isn’t finished yet. All this amidst racing being dead or dying. The game and landscape is changing, not dying. It is also noteworthy that we are seeing these superior world class equine athletes, when commercial breeding has a hard focus on speed, not distance and longevity. Furthermore, it is happening despite the wide spread over use of Lasix. Almost all American thoroughbreds run on Lasix today whether they bleed or not. That can’t help, but we are still seeing some truly remarkable horses. Racing’s not dead, not by a long shot.
It’s what besides his lofty resume, and lightning fast Belmont and Haskell, assure him a place in the conversation about the best three year olds we’ve seen. It’s that he’s still getting better. He continues to improve.
I’ve been fortunate to witness four Triple Crown winners now. And despite all the eyes on and comments about our most recent hero, American Pharoah, many seem to be missing what to me seems so very different about him. It’s what besides his lofty resume, and lightning fast Belmont and Haskell, assure him a place in the conversation about the best three year olds we’ve seen. It’s that he’s still getting better. He continues to improve. He came out of the grueling Triple Crown poised for his best effort to date. He didn’t have to deliver it as his B game was good enough. Yes his B game. He dominated the Haskell in 1:47.95 while throttled down on cruise control. He’s getting better and faster. How many of our past Triple Crown winners were still improving and had not yet even hit their three year old peak following The Belmont? None I can think of. Certainly none of the three others I have seen. Seattle Slew lost at Hollywood following The Belmont in a race his trainer didn’t want to run in. Secretariat won at Arlington following his smashing Belmont but surely didn’t improve off it and lost next in The Whitney to high priced claimer Onion. I was there that day and remember Jacinto Vazquez pinning Turcotte and Big Red on the rail. People forget Onion was coming back on 4 days rest in The Whitney and also off a track record performance. I was also there when Affirmed won The Jim Dandy but again he didn’t improve and had already fired his top in The Belmont. American Pharoah made the Triple Crown campaign look easy and is just coming into his own after dominating it. Rare indeed.
Although he ran hard in The Kentucky Derby from a wide post, he was entitled to need a hard race at that point. He had ran maybe 40 yards combined, if that, in his Arkansas preps including The Arkansas Derby. He has not bounced, nor run a significantly faster race than before. That is key with the truly good ones. No huge forward moves and no following big regressions. Consistency, steadiness, constant progression, signs of a great one.
No, a Triple Crown winner does not solve all our problems. It’s not supposed to. It surely helps our exposure though. The crowds at Belmont and Monmouth for his last two races were refreshing. A friend of mine was poolside this weekend amongst a crowd of all ages. About 5:30 the pool emptied to comments of we are going to watch American Pharoah. In late June, I was at the DMV office. My phone rang and my ring tone is the bugle call to post. What else would you expect? As it rang, the girls working behind the counter all took notice and said Wow American Pharoah. They identified the call with him. It was quite the Kodak moment for racing. Racing’s not dead.
It was also somewhat sentimental to see a daughter of Rachel Alexandra, Rachel’s Valentina,win her debut at Saratoga on Haskell day in New Jersey. After all Rachel won The Haskell during her brilliant three year old campaign. This was American Pharoah’s day however, and he was not about to share it with anyone except his partner Victor Espinoza. In an effortless mile and an eighth he put to rest any sound opinions about his greatness and deserving of inclusion in the conversation of the best of the bests.
Great ones have those intangibles too. Zenyatta danced and posed for the cameras. She loved strutting her stuff. American Pharoah is like a loving pet, almost dog like. He’s a kind and gentle animal until he gets his cue to run on by you.
The nature of our game is speculation. We do it from the breeding shed, to the sales ring, to the starting gate. I’ve always said and felt comparing horses from different eras is pointless and comes down to a matter of personal opinion. I don’t think that’s speculation but fact. We can group greats together but who’s better is all about opinion. Unless we line them up we don’t know. I had this very conversation with Mike Smith once. Mike’s ridden some of the best of the best and has a savvy opinion. He agrees it’s all opinion and preference when it comes to comparing different eras. You can compare times and judge that way but remember that 10k claimer who goes 1:09 flat every time, until you put him next to a stake horse and they finish in 1:12 and you can’t find him. Or you can say this one ran against better than that one. Nonsense as horses like most athletes will run or play to their competition. Just ask Sugar Ray Leonard, or Kobe Bryant. The only way we know is to line them up. What we do know is who belongs in the conversation and new King American Pharoah left any doubt in his wake.
Nonsense as horses like most athletes will run or play to their competition. The only way we know is to line them up.
Owners like Ahmed and Justin Zayat have been great for the game as well. They remain open and even interactive about their stable and racing operations. They both engage and answer fans on social media and even address the tough questions when they come up. I don’t think there is a fan, reporter, or race track worker who has requested a meeting or photo op with American Pharoah who has been turned down. The fact they only recently entered the game and have already bred one of the best, on top of an already enviable Kentucky Derby record has got to encourage others to get in the game.
So despite the myriad of issues the sport faces daily, from drugs, cheating, commercial breeding, mismanagement of tracks, aftercare, injuries, handle, attendance and more, racing is very much alive.
This coming Saturday, the historic Whitney at Saratoga has a field that rivals some of the old stakes from what I call the glory days. Most racing fans are already eagerly anticipating it. Most are already anticipating where the new king goes next as well. It seems to be between The Pennsylvania Derby, The Travers, and The Pacific Classic. My guess is The Pacific Classic. It’s in his back yard so there is no shipping. He trains over the track, and would get that first race against older out of the way. Just a hunch though. With the great mare Beholder possibly heading there it could make for quite the event. Regardless of where he runs the world’s eyes will be on him.
It’s no secret most big bettors avoid the racetracks today. It’s sad but true. The tracks fought a long time to alienate their customers and now that they’ve succeeded, they want them back. They want the steady big weekends and decent attendance during the week but can’t seem to figure out how to get it. It’s not as difficult as they and perhaps even you think. That’s a subject for a later column however. For now let’s just reiterate we need a central governing body and uniformity in rules. We also need track management to recognize who their customer truly is. If you don’t know your customer you can’t take care of them.
High 5
How about Adam Rice winning one at The Spa with his sister Taylor Rice in the saddle? The horse ran huge and Taylor rode Don’t Be So Salty great getting off the rail where they were trapped and showing that horse’s nice burst. Congrats. The Rices have been a deadly and excellent racetrack family as far back as I can remember. You could see Taylor’s smile on the TV monitors down the stretch. That’s what it’s all about.
Low 5
Johnny Velasquez drops the whip on The Big Beast turning for home which likely made the difference in the big horses nose defeat. Ouch if you bet him. We expect more from a hall of famer in a Grade 1 at The Spa.
