Triple Crown Connections Confident in American Pharoah

American Pharoah trains at Churchill Downs ahead of his date with destiny in the June 6 Belmont Stakes. (Photo by Eclipse Sportswire)
By Tom Pedulla, America’s Best Racing
Owners, trainers and jockeys connected to the three Triple Crown winners of the 1970s expressed cautious optimism that American Pharoah will become the first horse to sweep the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes since Affirmed in 1978.
And Patrice Wolfson, who owned Affirmed with her late husband, Louis, threw caution to the wind in saying during a national conference call on Tuesday, “I just think the time has come.”
American Pharoah, perfect through four races as a 3-year-old, will make his historic bid on June 6 at Belmont Park. Anticipation of the event is running so high that officials from the New York Racing Association capped attendance at 90,000 in an effort to ensure a memorable experience for all fans.
The 37-year drought is the longest since Sir Barton was recognized as the first Triple Crown champion in 1919. Ten others followed his lead, culminating in the 1970s with Secretariat moving like a mighty machine in the 1973 Belmont, Seattle Slew maintaining his perfect record through the spring classics in 1977 and Affirmed fending off Alydar in their three-race trilogy in 1978 for Steve Cauthen, his wunderkind jockey.
“I specifically remember after winning the Triple Crown in 1978 that people were saying that the Triple Crown was too easy. They are going to have to make it tougher,” said Cauthen, who was 18 at the time. “That is laughable now.”
AFFIRMED

Photo courtesy of HorsePhotos
Respect for the accomplishment – and recognition that it is undoubtedly one of the great feats in sports – has soared since then. Thirteen horses since Affirmed secured the first two legs only to be foiled in the mile-and-a-half Belmont Stakes, the renowned “Test of the Champion.”
Three of those wannabes were trained by Bob Baffert, who continues his quest with American Pharoah. Silver Charm was overtaken by Touch Gold in 1997. Real Quiet was run down by Victory Gallop by a nose the following year. Baffert’s hopes and dreams were crushed at the outset in 2002, when keyed-up War Emblem stumbled out of the Belmont Park starting gate, nearly sinking to his knees. The dedicated frontrunner never recovered.
History shows that winning the Triple Crown is all about having the right horse in the right hands that is peaking at the ideal time. American Pharoah offers something in his background that other recent Triple Crown hopefuls lacked. He built enough of a foundation and displayed enough early brilliance to be honored as 2-year-old champion. Six of the last seven Triple Crown winners were 2-year-old champions.
“The colt has done everything they’ve asked of him,” said Dr. Jim Hill, owner of Seattle Slew. “It’s been an amazing trip that he’s had.”
Penny Chenery, owner of Secretariat, was equally impressed in watching American Pharoah outduel Firing Line for a one-length victory in the Kentucky Derby before he was a runaway winner on a sloppy surface he clearly cherishes two weeks later in the Preakness at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.
“American Pharoah seems to have a very fluid, easy stride and he doesn’t show that he has any weaknesses to overcome,” Chenery said. “So it’s a question of whether he can deal with the short rotation of these races. It’s unusual and we’ll see if he can wrap his mind around it and do it again.”
SEATTLE SLEW

Photo by HorsePhotos
Billy Turner, who conditioned Seattle Slew and is the only living Triple Crown trainer, expressed concern that human error could get in American Pharoah’s way. He said he is “really, really surprised” by Baffert’s decision to ship the son of Pioneerof the Nile back to Churchill Downs after the Preakness rather than going on to acclimate to Belmont Park and its massive track. The colt is not due to arrive at Belmont until next Wednesday, giving him relatively little time to familiarize himself with the surface and his new surroundings.
“Going around the big oval, it’s different,” said Turner. “When you are used to going around mile ovals, it’s a big, big difference.”
Turner also emphasized how critical a role jockey Victor Espinoza will play as Espinoza makes his third attempt at a Triple Crown after falling short with War Emblem and with California Chrome last year. Espinoza, based on the West Coast, does not ride often at Belmont Park.
“It’s the biggest track we run on. It becomes a rider’s race and riders who are not used to riding there tend to get too anxious too soon,” Turner said. “They look like winners at the eighth pole but are not there at the wire.”
There are so many potential pitfalls that they would only make an elusive Triple Crown triumph all the sweeter.