Churchill Diaries: Pharoah Rules the Night

When I arrived at Churchill Downs over half an hour before the gates opened on Saturday night, I expected the parking lot to be nearly empty but I was very mistaken.
Even though first post was still over an hour away, I followed a long line of cars into the parking lot with more going into other parking lots around the track. But the biggest surprise was the line to get into the main gate of the racetrack. Fans had been lining up for quite a while in the heat to make sure that they got a prime spot when the track opened at 5 p.m.

It was a big night with the Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown trophies being awarded to the connections of American Pharoah and Churchill Downs went all out. Fans were able to get their pictures taken next to the trophies for a few hours during the early races and the trophies were extremely popular.

The early races of the card flew by and before we knew it, it was time for American Pharoah to meet his adoring fans. The crowd started gathering long before the Triple Crown winner was in the paddock and it seemed like all 28,968 fans were standing around the paddock.

Bob Baffert walked through the paddock to greet American Pharoah on the track and the paddock crowd cheered him all the way down the tunnel. But the cheer picked up even more when American Pharoah walked into the paddock with a huge crowd behind him a few minutes later.

The Zayat family was waiting for American Pharoah in the paddock and Ahmed Zayat greeted his star after the colt was put in the same saddling stall he had been in for the Kentucky Derby.

After the other horses in the paddock headed out to the track for their race, American Pharoah walked around the paddock for quite a while allowing everyone to get a good look at him.

Before American Pharoah left the paddock, jockey Victor Espinoza came out to greet his mount.

The two paraded together and as he got to the exit of the paddock, American Pharoah stopped and allowed the crowd to get some good shots of him.

Next up after the paddock was a visit to the winner’s circle for American Pharoah before the trophy presentation.

He only made a quick appearance in the winner’s circle before he was back on his way to the barn for his dinner. American Pharoah looked happy to head back to the barn, especially when he met up with the horses coming over for the next race.

But American Pharoah leaving the front side of the track didn’t mean that the Triple Crown party was over. American Pharoah’s group stayed in the winner’s circle to accept their trophies with Mr. Zayat looking thrilled to finally be holding the engraved Kentucky Derby trophy and the smaller trophy he was given as the breeder of American Pharoah

During the trophy presentation, Bob Baffert’s son Bode stole the attention like he has the whole Triple Crown by entertaining the crowd between each of the trophies being given out to Baffert, Espinoza and the Zayats.

While everyone was happy to get their Kentucky Derby trophies, they seemed ecstatic when a certain trophy came out. The Triple Crown trophy had spent 37 long years unclaimed and Zayat and Baffert had a mini-celebration in the winner’s circle when it was handed to them.

The celebration continued in the winner’s circle after that but it was time to focus back on racing with the Fleur de Lis horses coming on the track. Sheer Drama looked pretty confident in herself and the odds reflected that as bettors sent her off at odds of 1.70-to-1 in the race

But pulling the biggest stakes race upset of the night was Frivolous, who won the Fleur de Lis at odds of 32.10-to-1 over Sheer Drama.

Frivolous’ connections were thrilled with the win and were extremely happy to pose with the Breeders’ Cup Distaff “Win and You’re In” blanket they were presented due to Frivolous’ win. Frivolous now has an automatic spot in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff starting gate and if the chatter in the winner’s circle was any indication, her connections are planning on taking it.

Next up was the Stephen Foster Handicap. The Breeders’ Cup Classic “Win and You’re In” race had attracted a smaller field but it was full of quality with horses like Lea, Hoppertunity and Noble Bird running.
Commissioner, who was second in last year’s Belmont Stakes, was the first one over. He was entering the race off of a winning streaking and it was thought he had a really good chance to do well here.

Noble Bird was coming into the race off of a very close second in the Alysheba Stakes during Kentucky Derby weekend and he was looking for his first graded stakes victory.

Hoppertunity won the Clark Handicap last year and was looking to make it a huge night for Bob Baffert, who trains the horse.

Lea, who was the race favorite, was coming into the race off of a third place finish in the Dubai World Cup. Running for trainer Bill Mott, Lea was looking to give his trainer his second Stephen Foster win.

It came down to Noble Bird and Lea at the end with Noble Bird in the lead and Lea chasing him down. Noble Bird dug down and held off Lea’s charge to win by a neck. Jockey Shaun Bridgmohan celebrated as soon as they crossed the wire.

The final graded stakes race was a fitting end to the night that celebrated Bob Baffert’s and Zayat Stables’ biggest win as both had a horse in the race. The Matt Winn Stakes attracted a field of seven with Zayat’s Nileator running for trainer Dale Romans and Bob Baffert running Fame and Power for Juddmonte Farm.

In the end, the race came down to Fame and Power and Island Town. Fame and Power looked like he was going to win in midstretch but Island Town came back to win his second straight race at Churchill Downs.

And with that, the stakes races on the card were over. But the racing after-party lasted for hours after the final race with a large group still at the track after midnight, enjoying the festives Churchill Downs put on to make a great night unforgettable.