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At Last, ‘Pharoah’ Rules As 12th Triple Crown Winner

At Last, ‘Pharoah’ Rules As 12th Triple Crown Winner

New York (AFP) – American Pharoah ended American racing’s 37-year Triple Crown drought, romping to victory in the Belmont Stakes.

The sweet-striding bay colt, ridden by Victor Espinoza and trained by Bob Baffert, added the 1 1/2-mile Belmont to his Kentucky Derby and Preakness wins to become the 12th horse to sweep all three — and the first since Affirmed in 1978.

Since then 13 horses had claimed the first two jewels of the Triple Crown only to be undone by the Belmont.

That list of near-misses included three horses trained by Baffert and two ridden by Espinoza.

“Thirty-seven years,” Baffert said. “I’m part of this but you know what, that little horse, he deserved it. He’s a great horse.”

Espinoza could hardly believe it as he cantered his mount toward the winner’s circle to delirious cheers from a crowd of 90,000.

“Wow! Wow!” Espinoza said. “It’s just an amazing thing. He’s just an amazing horse!”

His mount broke slowly from the gate, but responded quickly as Espinoza took him straight to the lead.

He stayed in front the rest of the way, the first favorite to win the Belmont since Afleet Alex in 2005.

“I’m thinking about my parents,” an emotional Baffert said as he made his way to the winner’s circle, surrounded by his family. “I wish they were alive to see this.”

The 62-year-old trainer has known Triple Crown heartbreak, having saddled Silver Charm (1997), Real Quiet (1998) and War Emblem (2002) for Kentucky Derby and Preakness wins, only to see them fall short in the Belmont.

“I was really getting to dislike this trophy. It’s caused me a lot of misery,” Baffert said as he accepted it.

Espinoza was aboard War Emblem for that failed Triple try in 2002, and he had another Triple Crown chance go awry at the Belmont on California Chrome last year.

This time, Espinoza said, he knew at the first turn that Pharoah wouldn’t let him down.

“He broke a step slow, but in two jumps I was in the lead,” said Espinoza, who was in full control of the pace.

“Steady, steady all the way round, it was the best feeling ever across the first turn,” he said.

Godolphin-owned Frosted, trained by Kiaran McLaughlin and ridden by Joel Rosario, made a move heading into the final straight, but American Pharoah pulled away remorselessly to beat him by 5 1/2-lengths.

Keen Ice, trained by Dale Romans and ridden by Kent Desormeaux, was third.

It was a seventh straight win in eight career starts for American Pharoah, who captured his three Triple Crown victories in varying style.

He ground down the opposition in the Kentucky Derby to win by a length, while in the Preakness he shrugged off a driving rainstorm and muddy track to go wire to wire and win by seven lengths.

While the field of eight was the smallest in the Belmont since 2007, over the course of the three Triple Crown races American Pharoah defeated a total of 31 challengers — second most behind the 32 beaten by War Admiral in 1937.

The son of Pioneerof the Nile, known for his short tail and kind demeanor, inscribed his mis-spelled name among the Thoroughbred greats.

American Pharoah ended a record Triple Crown drought. The previous record gap was 25 years, from Citation in 1948 to Secretariat in 1973.

The 70s proved a golden age for the elusive feat, with Secretariat followed by Seattle Slew in 1977 and Affirmed in ’78.

Then the long winter set in and the difficulty of winning three races at three different circuits in just five weeks began to seem insurmountable.

An increasing focus by breeders on speed over stamina had the 1 1/2-mile Belmont looking an ever more daunting task for modern Thoroughbreds.

Some wondered if the feat first achieved by Sir Barton in 1919 would ever be seen again.

“I was here in town, I was listening to every news station and people were saying, ‘Well, you know, it never happens,'” Baffert said.

“But there’s something about this horse. He just brought it every time, and he’s just enjoyment to be around.”

Ahmed Zayat, the Egyptian-born entrepreneur who bred and owns American Pharoah, said it was a victory for horse racing fans — a group steadily dwindling in the United States.

But more importantly it was a proof of American Pharoah’s quality.

“I can sit here for hours and praise the brilliant job that Bob, Victor, and team have done,” he said.

“But at this juncture it’s about the defining of the greatness of American Pharoah.”

Photo: American Pharoah, ridden by Victor Espinoza, crosses the finish line to win the 147th Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park on June 6, 2015 in Elmont, New York. (AFP / Timothy A. Clary)

Bob Baffert Looks To Overcome Unlucky Post Positions Of American Pharoah, Dortmund

Bob Baffert Looks To Overcome Unlucky Post Positions Of American Pharoah, Dortmund

By Peter Schmuck, The Baltimore Sun (TNS)

It had to be one of those what-are-the-odds moments for trainer Bob Baffert, and we’re not talking about the fact that Kentucky Derby winner American Pharoah was set as a 4-5 morning line favorite for the 140th running of the Preakness on Saturday at Old Hilltop.

Baffert, who said before Wednesday’s race draw that he is always “post-position sensitive,” ended up with both Pharoah and third-place Derby finisher Dortmund stacked one and two on the rail, with Derby runner-up Firing Line getting the outside post that jockey Gary Stevens said he had been hoping for all along.

So, perhaps Baffert could have been forgiven for launching into a Steve Coburn-style rant about the unfairness of it all, but that’s not his style. He didn’t want to get boxed inside D. Wayne Lucas’ speed horse Mr. Z, but it certainly beat one of the alternatives.

“At least we’re here, going for the second leg (of the Triple Crown) and that’s more important,” Baffert said. “If they had told me, ‘Look it, if you win the Kentucky Derby, we’re going to have to stick you in the one hole at Pimlico,’ I’d have said, ‘I’ll take that all day long.’ ”

Whether starting inside will be a big disadvantage depends on how well Pharoah breaks. The reason that trainers and jockeys don’t like the inside gates is because the rail positions can limit their strategic options.

“It depends on your horse,” Baffert said. “My horses are fast, so they just have to break well.”

If they don’t, there’s the possibility of getting trapped inside and impeded while the outside horses have the luxury of running whatever race suits their individual styles. Stevens obviously considers the number eight position the great equalizer for Firing Line, which has opened as the third favorite at 4-1.

“I’ve got a lot more options, a lot more options than I would have had if I’d drawn down in the one hole,” Stevens said. “If you’re drawn in the one hole, your cards are dealt to you. American Pharoah’s got speed. Dortmund’s got speed and Mr. Z’s got speed, and they’ve got to come away from there running. If for some reason they don’t, then I’ll seize the moment.”

Stevens certainly knows his way around Pimlico. Three of his nine career Triple Crown wins came here, including his comeback victory aboard Oxbow two years ago. He’s the wily veteran in his 36th year riding thoroughbreds, but Pharoah jockey Victor Espinoza is on a roll after winning the first two jewels of the crown last year aboard California Chrome.

“Victor Espinoza is pretty crafty himself,” Stevens said. “He’s been on top of his game here it seems like the last year and half. He makes all the right moves and he’s got a lot of confidence right now.”

OK, so — all things considered — who’s better positioned to win the Woodlawn Vase?

“I’ve got the upper hand where I’ve drawn,” Stevens said. “He’s 4-5, I’m 4-1 and he better be 4-5, that’s all I can say.”

It’s going to be a very intriguing race that could produce a surprise or two. The three horses that came home together at Churchill Downs are the betting favorites for a reason. But there are four longshots in the middle four post positions, which has got to provide an added measure of uncertainty about the eventual outcome.

Danzig Moon (15-1) could be a factor from the number four post position and Divining Rod (12-1) is placed well just inside Firing Line, but their chances obviously depend heavily on how much the unlucky post-position draw affects American Pharoah and Dortmund.

Baffert recognizes the challenge ahead, but it is nothing compared to the difficulty of winning the annual stampede known as the Kentucky Derby. He drew the 18th slot for that race and Pharoah still got the ride he and Espinoza wanted.

“It depends on the horse,” he said before Wednesday’s draw. “They can have a great post, but if they step back or stumble like Bayern last year…He didn’t break and got eliminated and it’s over. All we can do is get them ready and keep them healthy and happy and hope they break well and get good position.”

Photo: American Pharoah via Facebook

Endorse This: Race To The Bottom

Endorse This: Race To The Bottom

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The typically dignified world of horse racing just saw an entertaining blooper — coming straight from Down Under — as this jockey very nearly managed to win from behind, and clearly gained a lot of career exposure. Best of all, the announcers remained entirely serious, and weren’t even the least bit cheeky.

Click above to watch this determined pair come in a proud second — appropriately finishing ahead of the third-place horse, “Modesty.” Then share this video!

Video via Sky Racing.

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Congress Considers Tax Breaks From Horse Racing To Stock Car Racing

Congress Considers Tax Breaks From Horse Racing To Stock Car Racing

By Maria Recio, McClatchy Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON — Horse racing may be thought of as the sport of kings, but the National Thoroughbred Racing Association says breeders and stable owners need a tax break just like everybody else.

Stock car racing has a regal status among its followers, but NASCAR has its hand out, too, as do taxpayers in seven states with no income tax who pay state sales taxes and are able to deduct them from Uncle Sam’s tax bill.

The three are among the strange bedfellows who benefit from targeted tax breaks that expired at the end of 2013 and that the Senate and House of Representatives are now looking to restore.

“I especially appreciate that (Congress) understands the continued importance of our industry and the contribution of the equine economy to job creation and added investment,” said Alex Waldrop, the president of the thoroughbred racing association

The Senate legislation, which is expected to be voted on on the floor this week, combines more than 50 of the so-called tax extenders Congress awarded at different times for different constituencies, everything from helping families to pay for college, homeowners to deduct mortgage expenses, business to benefit by giving away food inventory, and to hire veterans. Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC) included that provision with a bill called “Hire a Hero.”

The tax extenders bill would reinstate them for two years at a cost to the treasury of $85 billion. Supporters are facing some stiff opposition from the right and the left, who say they create favorites in the tax code.

“Congress is able to hide the true cost of these tax breaks by renewing them every two years,” Steve Wamhoff, the legislative director for Citizens for Tax Justice, a liberal research center, said in a newspaper opinion piece. “But the truth is, if allowed to continue indefinitely, these corporate tax breaks will balloon the deficit by $700 billion over the next decade.”

The diverse interests that see their tax breaks as a matter of fairness make for a colorful coalition. They also have powerful patrons.

The entire bill is a tougher sell for Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX). He wants to make the deductibility of state sales tax permanent, a huge issue for the Lone Star State, not just have it extended periodically. But other breaks trouble him.

Cornyn, the Senate minority whip and a Finance Committee member, said during a call with reporters that he supported many of the provisions but didn’t like that so many tax breaks were collected in one package.

“This is a terrible way to do business, and it’s going to produce a flawed product,” he said.

Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX), a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, prefers the case-by-case approach his panel is taking with the extenders. He’s confident that the House will make the sales tax deductibility permanent.

“Since it was reinstated in 2004, we’ve saved Texans $9.6 billion,” Brady said in an interview.

The NASCAR provision is also popular. The International Speedway Corp., which owns 12 tracks — including in Kansas City, Kansas, Daytona Beach and Homestead, Florida, and Darlington, South Carolina — is an enthusiastic supporter.

“We spend $120 million to $150 million a year on capital improvements,” International Speedway Corp. spokesman Lenny Santiago said.

AFP Photo/Jewel Samad
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