Tuesday, June 9, 2015

PHAROAH, PHAROAH, PHAROAH, THE CROWD HAILED: KING OF OVALS

American Pharaoh and Victor Espinoza 

Saturday June 6th, 2015, the day that broke the 37 year Triple Crown drought at Belmont Park, New York.  Rain or shine, it didn't matter to a great horse, he likes both and made it look easy in any weather.  Only a non-horseman would have bet against him, someone who doesn't understand that champions not only possess terrific physical attributes but have to mentally be in the zone also to pull off a Triple Crown.  Of all the good horses that have won the first two jewels in recent years American Pharaoh was the most likely to succeed in the third to be crowned King of Ovals.  He is a calm horse which indicates a low resting heart-rate making him easier to train than a highly strung sweat dripping, bucket of anxiety.  An important quality for a thoroughbred racehorse since they tend to lose weight quickly, go off their food and train off.  You have to find the right temperament, nurture it, and not bugger it up.  The best trainers recognize it and know how to keep a horse, the right horse, at peek.
In the very same barn their was another exceptionally talented horse, Dortmund, but he didn't seem to like the crowds.  He was more on edge and nervous, unsettled enough to warrant saddling in the tunnel at the Kentucky Derby.  This effects their performance.  Nothing much seems to ruffle Pharaoh's feathers, the challenges came at him during the Belmont but fell away with only Frosted putting in a really good effort.  They were all quality horses that had won classic races from Dubai to New York but AP drew away by five.      
War Emblem stumbled at the start of his Belmont Stakes,  Smarty Jones was a puller and the challengers wore him down purposely to have it snatched in the last few strides.   The gelding, Funny Cide, was a puller also and a horse that sat on his flank made him overwork an tried him to defeat.  Big Brown had the worst ride you will ever see in a Belmont, look at the replays and judge for yourself.  His jockey decided to pull the horse up after getting him in trouble.   I'll Have Another, was questionably withdrawn the night before.  California Chrome, a lovely horse, just wasn't as fit on his big day as Tonalist.
American Pharaoh was able to run wire-to-wire and still had juice in the tank.