Bram’s Take: Deep in the Heart of the Pharoah

American Pharoah simply overwhelmed the opposition in the Haskell Invitational Stakes on Aug. 2 at Monmouth Park. Could he face a much bigger challenge on Saturday in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course? (Photo by Eclipse Sportswire)
How do we make people understand that American Pharoah could easily lose this weekend? There in lies the circular question that horse racing perpetually faces.
The core fan base knows that Texas Red could win the Travers Stakes on Saturday at Saratoga Race Course. So could Frosted. So could Keen Ice. But the casual fan does not. All the casual fan knows is the first Triple Crown winner of this generation is and should be a massive favorite.
So how does the sport change this? Hire Dana White or Don King? Reward the owners and trainers who trash talk the other camps?
How do you build a rivalry if people are unaware that there could be a rivalry in the first place?
This is one of those conundrum questions that horse racing rarely seems to find an answer to. Sometimes the sport gets lucky, see Affirmed and Alydar (But this is from the 1970s!). The match race between Seabiscuit and War Admiral was immortalized in a Hollywood hit back in the early 2000s. That race took place in the 1930s. Those who remember that also remember a time when they went to their local church to listen to Joe Louis fights on the radio.
Racing is currently capable of educating the general public about its big dog. But the sport can’t seem to explain who the contenders are. For example, does anyone remember the horses Zenyatta beat?
Now there are huge hurdles in this education plan. Horses aren’t placed in a structured schedule so the camps can pick and choose at will where they race, and some like Keen Ice seem to have a masochistic side showing up time and again to lose to American Pharoah. Others try to find similar purses with less intense fields. And then there are those like Texas Red, who couldn't race at the most inopportune time: during the Triple Crown.
So what do we do about this? Incentivize the barns to race their horses in a set schedule touring the country?
The point is, Zayat Stables deserves credit for letting American Pharoah continue to race. It’s a huge boost to horse racing. Now it’s up to the sport to formulate some way to teach the public about the other contenders. There is a time-tested sports marketing tool that has yet to fail: hype.
You probably know Joey Chestnut is/was the greatest hot dog eater ever. But you also probably know that Kobayashi was his main rival for years. Hype. Even the competitive eating world knows its value. Now, we have to come up with a way to use hype to sell the matchups. In the case of the Travers Stakes, the hype is real.
The Field for the Travers Stakes:
1. Upstart — This horse has been involved in a lot of oddly slow stakes races. Based on the field, I don’t see this one going fast early unless American Pharoah feels like he’s so fresh that he can just go wire to wire. So, I think he’s got a shot and at 15-to-1, it’s an attractive shot. But he likes to get up front. Few of the other obvious contenders do, and he doesn’t present as a good finisher at this distance. So he’s got looks going for him but a winner’s circle photo seems extremely unlikely.
2. American Pharoah — What’s really left to say? The only thing worth pointing out is this field is way deeper then the one who went up against in New Jersey earlier this month in the Haskell Invitational Stakes.
PHAROAH READY TO ROLL IN TRAVERS

3. Mid Ocean — Is this a joke?
4. Texas Red — Well, well, well. It’s finally high noon for ole American Pharoah. Hope he’s still got that quick draw, son, because this shootout is going to be a doozy. Red already ran down Frosted in what might as well have been a match race earlier this month. You have to go back to last November to see just how good Red can be when his performance in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile was off the charts. This was last November, but this summer he has shown signs that he can be THAT good; and if he’s going to be THAT good, then he can win. Call me Mr. Hype!
TEXAS RED WINNING JIM DANDY EARLIER THIS MONTH

Photo by Adam Coglianese/NYRA
5. Frammento — Sounds like a drink I’d never order at Starbucks. He’s a big race horse with little to show for it. Too much foam, too little espresso.
6. Frosted — Clearly, he can compete, but so far he’s been in that not so coveted “best of the rest” class. It’s not really fair because his good might be good enough any other year, if not for the historic horse he’s raced against for what will be a third time. I expect him to do what he has done, stay off the pace, make his move and see how far behind the winner he is when it is said and done. Is he second? Third? Fourth?
FROSTED WINNING WOOD MEMORIAL

Photo by Eclipse Sportswire
7. Keen Ice — You always get a good number on him because he just doesn’t win, but he has shown the ability to pass the tired horses easily, so the distance plays to his favor and ours as exotic betters. I do wonder if he just decided to stay away from American Pharoah, would he win one of these big stakes purses? Whatever. If he wants to play the role of punching bag, that’s on his peeps. He’ll be a factor, just not to win.
8. Tale of Verve — He was the surprise of the Preakness, finishing second. Of course, that is a deceiving thing to bring up considering he lost by seven lengths to American Phraoah and never was closer than that final margin. The Preakness also serves as his best race to date, and since then he’s been nowhere near the board. So, I’m chasing other Tales this weekend.
9. King of New York — I have to assume a lot of $2 win bets will go on this guy because of his name. New Yorkers are like Texans, they love saying where they are from out loud while handing people money. These New Yorkers won’t be like those Texans in this case, though, where Red has a way better shot than the King. On turf, I’d give him half a chance here. But this feels way out of class. Forgetaboutit.
10. Smart Transition — He’s got some pretty odds at 20-to-1. His last race included one of those Beholder moves on the turn. Granted, he was a in a small field and granted the final time wasn’t exactly noteworthy. Now Johnny V gives him a ride for the first time. I can’t see a win here but I can see him helping out my trifecta, so I’m not summarily tossing.
It would be really easy for me to write that I actually think Texas Red will beat American Pharoah, and then I get to tell all of you how smart I am for the rest of time. But I’m not going to do it. Until American Pharoah stops looking like the best horse in the world, I’m not guessing when that is going to happen. But should Texas Red win, just know I won't be surprised for a second.
The winner: American Pharoah. But it’s close this time, a length or so over Texas Red
The Full Milty — I’ll call this my just in case he loses bet: Trifecta box: Upstart, American Pharoah, Texas Red, Frosted, Keen Ice, Smart Transition.
$1,250,000 Travers S.Saturday, Saratoga Race Course, Race 11, 5:46 p.m. ET1 ¼ miles, dirt, 3-year-oldsTV: NBC from 4-6 p.m. ET

PP

Horse

Jockey

Trainer

Owner

Odds

1

Upstart

Irad Ortiz Jr.

Rick Violette

Ralph M. Evans and WinStar Farm

15-1

2

American Pharoah

Victor Espinoza

Bob Baffert

Zayat Stables

1-5

3

Mid Ocean

Manuel Franco

George Weaver

Bermuda Limestone Thoroughbreds

50-1

4

Texas Red

Kent Desormeaux

Keith Desormeaux

Erich Brehm, Wayne Detmar, Lee Michaels, Keith Desormeaux, et al.

8-1

5

Frammento

Jose Ortiz

Nick Zito

Mossarosa

30-1

6

Frosted

Joel Rosario

Kiaran McLaughlin

Godolphin Racing

6-1

7

Keen Ice

Javier Castellano

Dale Romans

Donegal Racing

12-1

8

Tale of Verve

Gary Stevens

Dallas Stewart

Charles E. Fipke

30-1

9

King of New York

Julien Leparoux

Ken McPeek 

Harold Lerner

50-1

10

Smart Transition

John Velazquez

John Shirreffs

Arnold Zetcher

20-1