American Pharoah Romps in Rebel

American Pharoah bobbled at the break but never looked back, galloping gate-to-wire to win the $750,000 Rebel Stakes (gr. II) by 6 1/4 lengths in his season debut March 14 at Oaklawn Park .

The defending 2-year-old champion male made a long-awaited return to the races on a rainy day in Arkansas, sent off favored at 2-5 but with many still wondering whether he would handle his initial outing on a sloppy track.

Owner Ahmed Zayat even considered scratching the Pioneerof the Nile   colt from his first start since last September, but when sent out to run, American Pharoah answered the question with a resounding "yes." Ears pricked, the gallant bay carried on to a resounding victory over distant runner-up Madefromlucky despite twisting his right front shoe leaving the gate under jockey Victor Espinoza.

"He did it exactly the way you want it; just perfect," Zayat said. "I'm just tickled pink that he's back, he's healthy, and he showed us that he can relax and enjoy very, very hard circumstances.

"This was not ideal. The race on paper was his to lose... He hasn't run since last September. But a horse coming off an injury, not running in five months, and shipping in, you're asking a lot of him. We wanted to see how he'd handle it. The instructions to Victor (were) to set slow fractions and never ask him, just let him be where he is. And we got what we (wanted). I am so happy to happy to have him back."

American Pharoah, who had never started outside of California, hadn't raced since a victory in the Sept. 27 FrontRunner Stakes (gr. I) at Santa Anita Park, a win he earned off a maiden-breaking score at second asking in the Sept. 3 Del Mar Futurity (gr. I). The colt was named 2-year-old champion at the end of the season despite missing the Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) Nov. 1 with an issue in his left front foot, and came into the Rebel for a late start to his 3-year-old campaign after training steadily at Santa Anita.

"We took an X-ray and it was totally clean. We took an ultrasound and it was totally clean," Zayat said of the injury that cut short American Pharoah's last season. "We treated it as if he tweaked a suspensory. We wanted to err on the side of caution. They said to give him 30 days, we gave him 60 days, although (trainer) Bob (Baffert) always kept him walking after that. So he was fit (and) he never lost any conditioning. But with a horse like that, I just wanted to be a little bit more cautious."

American Pharoah set modest early fractions of :24.41, :49.63, and 1:15.22 in the Rebel before hitting the head of the stretch and lengthening away through a mile in 1:39.76, leaving six rivals in his wake.

"He was very impressive," Espinoza said. "He's an amazing horse. The first time I rode him, Bob said 'He's the real deal.' Bob's a Hall of Famer, so he knows. Bob was confident, so that made me confident."

The winner finished the 1 1/16-mile Rebel on a sloppy track in 1:45.78.

"I was a little bit concerned at the break, because Victor said he moved right before they broke... he stumbled and he grabbed himself," said Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who has now won five of the past six editions of the Rebel. "I just talked to (assistant trainer) Jimmy (Barnes) and I guess he sprung the right shoe pretty well, he noticed it when he came back. He was running with a shoe bent the whole way around there, which just goes to show you what kind of a horse he is.

"Once he got to the first turn and he was just in his groove, galloping, I just thought, 'Well, if he's the horse we hope he is, he's in good shape.' You're always hoping that he's going to run like that. He showed us in the mornings he does that, so it was just a perfect kind of race for him to come back.

"When you run on a track like that, you're always concerned about something coming up, but so far everything looks good. It was pretty exciting."

The Rebel gave American Pharoah 50 points on the road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) and upped his total to 60 points, which assures a spot in the 20-horse starting gate on the first Saturday in May.

But Derby victory comes sparingly to modern Thoroughbred juvenile champions. The only one to claim the roses recently was Street Sense   in 2007, and he was the first 2-year-old champ to win the Derby since Spectacular Bid in 1979.

"We are in this game to compete at the highest level, as simple as that," Zayat said. "I like all of my horses to compete at the highest level. But the Derby, in my opinion, is a crapshoot. It depends on the draw, it depends on so many variables... Everything has to be lined up. But (this horse) has brilliant speed, he's bred to go the distance, (and) he's not one-dimensional, I assure you of that. He can sit if he needs to, but he's just brilliantly fast. It's a 'come and get me' kind of thing. Like today."

Although American Pharoah is getting a later start to his sophomore season than many of his Kentucky Derby hopeful rivals, a mid-March debut was the initial step of the two champion 2-year-old males among the past 10 to win classic races. Street Sense  , champion 2-year-old male of 2006, first started in his 3-year-old season March 17, 2007, with a narrow victory in the Tampa Bay Derby (gr. II) before winning the Derby seven weeks later. Champion 2-year-old male of 2009 Lookin At Lucky also made his 3-year-old debut seven weeks before the Derby with a narrow Rebel win. While Lookin At Lucky finished off the board in the Derby, he scored a clear victory in the Preakness Stakes (gr. I).

ANGST: Mid-March Debut Can Work for American Pharoah

American Pharoah now ranks fifth on the Derby leaderboard, while Zayat Stables' New York-based El Kabeir tops the list with 75 points for trainer John Terranova II. The Zayats also have Mr. Z in training with D. Wayne Lukas at 14th on the list with 14 points. Baffert conditions undefeated Dortmund as well, who ranks third on the list with 70 points for owner Kaleem Shah.

"I'm just glad to get this one out of the way. We've got him back. I feel fortunate to have two really top horses in him and Dortmund," the trainer said. "It's just very rare to have two horses like that."

American Pharoah returned $2.80, $2.20, and $2.10 when winning before an estimated crowd of 30,000. Madefromlucky, a son of Baffert's first Rebel winner Lookin at Lucky  , paid $3.40 and $2.80 in second.

Madefromlucky tucked in behind American Pharoah for the entire race, keeping pace with the leader until the turn for home. He passed Bold Conquest in the stretch, but didn't have enough to cut into the winner's widening advantage.

"Madefromlucky got the worst of it, being on the worst part of the track the whole way, and he still ran a great race," said Adele Bellinger, assistant to trainer Todd Pletcher.

Bold Conquest brought $2.80 and was 2 1/2 lengths back in third. The Truth Or Else, Paid Admission, Sakima, and Tizwonderfulcreek completed the order of finish.

A homebred out of the Yankee Gentleman   mare Littleprincessemma, American Pharoah has now won three of four starts, with earnings of $811,500. He was entered in the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling sale in 2013, but his connections bought him back from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment through Ingordo bloodstock for $300,000.

"I don't think it was too easy for him," Baffert said of the Rebel victory. "The track was very demanding. We learned a lot from this race because he handled it well, he handled the shipping and he handled the off track. I think he got a lot out of it.

"There is a good chance we might be back for the (April 11) Arkansas Derby (gr. I) with him."