Triple Crown Diaries: The Triple Crown Experience

When given the opportunity to go to the Kentucky Derby for the first time this year, I jumped on it. Never in my wildest dreams did I think it would be the beginning of five of the best weeks of my life.
The Kentucky Derby was an amazing experience and far exceeded my expectations of what I thought it would be. Like many other racing fans, I let myself believe for a few seconds later that night that American Pharoah may be “the one” but reined myself back in quickly. 
I admit that American Pharoah wasn’t my first pick going into the Preakness. I was on the Firing Line bandwagon all year and refused to jump from the wagon in the two weeks before the race. But watching the Preakness on my cell phone in a gas station parking lot, where I had pulled over just to watch the race, I knew as soon as the storm rolled in that Firing Line wasn’t going to do well that day.
I can’t pinpoint the exact second that I allowed myself to think that American Pharoah may be different from the other horses who had tried at the Triple Crown, but I can tell you that it was during his stretch run in the Preakness.
Since I moved to Kentucky in 2012, none of the Kentucky Derby winners had returned to Churchill Downs after the Preakness so I haven’t had a chance to see one up close and personal while they were still racing. So with my press badge in hand and my editors thinking my blogs covering American Pharoah’s week leading up to his departure for the Belmont were a good idea, I spent the weekend before the Belmont commuting back and forth to Churchill Downs to write blogs about American Pharoah.
AMERICAN PHAROAH GALLOPING THE FRIDAY BEFORE SHIPPING TO BELMONT

I had seen in the days before and after the Kentucky Derby that American Pharoah was a sweet horse. But one thing about the Kentucky Derby backside is that you are in such a big crowd of people every morning that you don’t get to see the horses’ mannerisms as much as other times.
While there was definitely a crowd at the barn every morning leading up to his ship to the Belmont, it wasn’t nearly as big as Kentucky Derby week I was always lucky enough to get a spot close to American Pharoah as he got his bath and was hot walked.  
Most people who asked me if he looked like he was going to win got my politically correct “I think so, but there are a lot of factors working against him” type of answer because I still had my guard up. But to be perfectly honest (and I’m sure this will sound like redboarding), I have never been so confident in a horse before. Even though there were some small things that had me spooked about him, just seeing how happy and healthy Pharoah was training on the track and back at the barn gave me confidence I haven’t had in other Triple Crown hopefuls (but to be fair, I was never there in person as they prepared for the Belmont).
For those that know me, it was no surprise that I got attached to American Pharoah during those early mornings on the backside. First and foremost, I am a horse lover and American Pharoah has a personality that you can’t hate.
American Pharoah is the equine version of the nice athlete in high school who is the captain of the varsity team, holds a 4.0 and isn’t mean to anyone. He is all business when on the track but as we saw in the winner’s circle and the day after the Belmont, take him out of the game and he is patient with everyone who wants his attention. You really can’t get an athlete, human or horse, who is better than that.
I wasn’t up in New York for the Belmont but had a prime spot at Keeneland in front of the screen on the tote board to catch all the action during the races at Belmont Park. When I got to the track earlier in the day, there were a decent amount of people but in the hour leading up to the big race, there was a noticeable difference in the number of people on the apron.
My friend thought I was crazy when I told her half an hour before the Belmont that I was going to go stand by the rail so I had a clear shot of the big screen when the race went off. I’m glad I did because about 10 minutes later, I looked around us and the rail was packed. I’ve seen live racing days at Keeneland where there was more elbowroom along the rail than there was right before the Belmont.
MY PRIME RAIL SPOT AT KEENELAND

If I didn’t know any better, I would have sworn Larry Collmus was in the Keeneland announcer’s booth for the race and that the Belmont was being run on the track in front of us. The track piped his call in through the speakers around the track and the crowd cheered just as loudly as they do for any big race at Keeneland.
I’ve been at Keeneland for Wise Dan's races and heard crowds double that size cheer for Dan during those races but I don’t think I’ve ever heard them as loud as I did as Pharoah ran down the Belmont stretch.
I know that Victor Espinoza had at least my section of people riding Pharoah along with him because I took a second to look around and a lot of the people around me (and including me) would have easily been able to transfer their form to horseback. When American Pharoah crossed the line, the joy on the faces around me was something that I know I will always remember. There were a lot of happy tears (many of them mine) and it took a good five minutes before any of us even tried to figure out who was second or third. (Sorry, Frosted and Keen Ice!)
I didn’t hear the interview right after the Belmont but a few hours later was told that Pharoah, Smokey the wonder pony, and some of Pharoah’s team would be returning to Churchill the next afternoon. You can read all about Pharoah’s return to the track here.
AMERICAN PHAROAH THE DAY AFTER THE TRIPLE CROWN
 
After watching so many “almosts” in the Triple Crown, it was hard to believe that the horse standing in front of me when he unloaded from the van is now a Triple Crown winner. That the connections have allowed everyone to get so up close and personal with this horse (when a few times I’m sure all they’ve wanted was peace and quiet) is amazing.
It definitely hasn’t fully hit me yet that the drought is indeed over but when I see him on the track in the morning later this week and parading at Churchill on Saturday night, you can be sure I’ll cherish every moment of it. After all, for all I know, I may have to wait 37 more years until the next Triple Crown winner graces racing with his presence.