American Pharoah Dazzles in Haskell Victory

American Pharoah looked like he was out for a gallop at the end of the Haskell Invitational. (Photos by EQUI-PHOTO)
By Tom Pedulla, America’s Best Racing
OCEANPORT, N.J. – American Pharoah!
The first Triple Crown champion in 37 years continued his year-long tour de force by winning the $1.75-million William Hill Haskell Invitational Stakes by 2 1/4 comfortable lengths on Sunday at Monmouth Park.
After a rendition of New Jersey native Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run,” American Pharoah and jockey Victor Espinoza showed legions of fans worldwide that he was born to run faster than any horse in his 3-year-old class, faster than most horses in many a generation.
“I’m looking at this horse like, ‘Where did he come from?” trainer Bob Baffert said afterward. “I’ve had some nice horses, but this horse is just incredible.”
American Pharoah tackled front-running Competitive Edge on the final turn and began to pull away in upper stretch as a record crowd of 60,983 erupted. Espinoza eased him under the wire, comfortably ahead of rallying runner-up Keen Ice. Upstart, rebounding from a last-place showing in the Kentucky Derby, came on for third.
Espinoza thought the outcome was never in doubt.
“It was pretty easy,” he said. “The key was coming out of there running.” American Pharoah completed the mile-and-an-eighth in 1:47.95.
It was the colt’s eighth consecutive victory and his seventh Grade 1 triumph during the streak. His only miscue was a fifth-place finish in his debut last Aug. 9 at Del Mar.
“He’s a gift from God or something,” Baffert said. “He’s just a brilliant racehorse. As a trainer, you wait a lifetime for a horse like this.”
The winner’s share of $1.1 million – the purse was boosted by $750,000 to make it the richest non-Breeders’ Cup race in New Jersey history -- hiked his earnings to $5,630,300 in behalf of Zayat Stables.
AMERICAN PHAROAH CROSSING THE FINISH LINE IN FRONT

Ahmed Zayat, the owner and breeder of American Pharoah, has an agreement in place with Coolmore that is expected to send the horse to stud at the end of the season. He indicated it stopped being about the money some time ago.
“We’ve achieved everything with him,” said Zayat, an Egyptian businessman who lives with his family in Teaneck, N.J. “It’s all about the fans.”
The attendance smashed the previous record of 53,638 for a race in New Jersey, set on Haskell Day on Aug. 3, 2003. Fans erupted the instant American Pharoah stepped onto a surface known to favor speed. Baffert described the atmosphere as “insane” when American Pharoah took command turning for home.
Racing’s 12th Triple Crown champion, sent off as a prohibitive favorite, presented Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert with a record eighth Haskell triumph and fifth in six years. Todd Pletcher, Warren A. Croll and Hubert “Sonny” Hine are a distant second with three wins apiece.
"He's just a great horse. I couldn't believe the crowd, how loud it was and it's a great crowd," Baffert said. "I love bringing my horses here and thanks for being behind Pharoah the whole way and I'm glad they got to see a great horse."
American Pharoah, breaking from post four in a field of eight, avoided the fate of Sir Barton (1919), Omaha (1935) and Seattle Slew (1977) as horses that swept the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes only to lose in their next start.
Secretariat (1973), Seattle Slew and Affirmed (1978) all became beatable, compiling a combined 5 for 11 record the rest of their 3-year-old campaigns once the spring classics were over. Secretariat, for all of his might, was upset by Onion in the Whitney Invitational Handicap and by Prove Out in the Woodward Stakes.
Baffert’s plans call for American Pharoah to be shipped back to his home base at Del Mar. Nothing was immediately clear after that. The New York Racing Association announced its willingness to raise the purse from $1.25-million to $1.6-million for the Travers Stakes on Aug. 29 if racing’s rock star will compete in the famed “Mid-Summer Derby.”
“There are a lot of options out there,” Baffert noted. “Every time I lead him up there, I want to feel good about it, that I’m doing the right thing.”
American Pharoah left no doubt. In choosing the Haskell, Baffert did the right thing.
2015 HASKELL INVITATIONAL STAKES

Video courtesy of TVG