Los Angeles Times

Racing fans find joy in this animal’s magnetism

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A big thank you to American Pharoah for winning the Triple Crown and ending a 37-year drought. Why do we fall in love with these four-legged animals? Because they capture our hearts like no other athletes in the world. They don’t commit felonies, carry guns or sell drugs.

We cry tears of joy when they win, be it a Cigar, a Zenyatta, a John Henry. And cry tears of joy when they sadly leave us, like a Barbaro, Go For Wand or Ruffian. They provide so much pleasure for us and ask for nothing in return. Something to look forward to when our lives are dreary. It is an honor and a privilege to admire their greatness.

Hopefully we don’t have to wait another 37 years for another one.

Craig London

Encino

I’m happy for the Triple Crown winner. But I got more goose bumps from Bill Dwyre’s “Wire to Wow” piece. It’s fun to read prose that well crafted.

Spike Bragg Long Beach

Let’s admit, this year’s Triple Crown wasn’t exactly Affirmed versus Alydar. I’m left with this question: Is American Pharoah truly a great horse or did the competitio­n just stink?

Ron Yukelson

San Luis Obispo

Halo holes

I have come up with a simple mathematic­al formula that may at least partially explain the Angels’ decreased attendance this season.

Whenever X equals the number of games the Angels manage to crawl over .500, they then proceed to go on a losing streak of X + 1.

Ron Reeve

Glendora

Regarding the Angels’ attendance drop: Maybe they should move back to Anaheim.

Joe Gonzalez Santa Barbara

Nice that the Angels drafted Jerry Dipoto’s son and Mike Trout’s girlfriend’s brother. Hope they can hit.

Jack Wishard Los Angeles

Forget “Tanana and Ryan and two days of cryin’.”

Now it’s “Pujols and Trout and the rest are out.”

Craig Dunkin

Los Angeles

Lineup change

One of the first moves by new Dodgers GM Andrew Friedman and his stat geeks was to trade All-Star second baseman Dee Gordon, thinking that his on-base percentage was too low. I guess their stats don’t show that a young player can actually improve. Gordon is leading the league in hitting and has more stolen bases than the entire Dodgers team, which is completely reliant on home runs. As Friedman continues to turn the Dodgers into the Havana Sugar Kings, one can only imagine how the Dodgers would have fared with Gordon and Joc Pederson batting 1-2 for the next several seasons.

Mike Gamboa

Buena Park

Sour notes

Every time I see a Dodgers ad claiming “We Love L.A.,” I don’t know whether to laugh or to cry. Sure, Lon Rosen loves L.A. so much, he reduced Nancy Bea Hefley’s role to nothing, while turning up the volume of his NBA-like sound effects. The constant thumping is unbearable, and we have to listen to Beethoven’s Fifth after every strikeout.

Stan Kasten loves L.A. so much, most of L.A. still can’t watch the Dodgers games on TV. Stan loves L.A. so much that he won’t even talk to L.A.’s largest newspaper. Oh, thank you, thank you, Lon, for recognizin­g Nancy’s importance. Ever hear of Helen Dell?

Ned Shapiro

Brentwood

We have already learned that the Guggenheim brain surgeons were blind. Now we learn they are deaf as well.

Paul Zimmelman

Marina del Rey

Court orders

After watching Steph Curry’s performanc­e in Game 2 of the playoffs, it reminded me of Clayton Kershaw’s Game 1 against the Cardinals last year. They may be MVPs, but they’re human after all.

Wayne Kamiya El Segundo

It was tough watching LeBron James get a camera lens branded in his head. It’s time for padding to be placed around all courtside equipment. The NBA should jump at that, because it’s another place they can shove nba.com or another advertisin­g logo in our faces.

Larry Yells

Hermosa Beach

Buss stop

Mark Feathersto­ne [Letters, June 6], you want to give the Lakers’ reins to Jeanie Buss? You mean the same Jeanie Buss who handed over $48 million to Kobe Bryant for the last two years saying he deserved to be the highest paid player in the NBA because of his service to the Lakers?

Mike Smith

Ontario

Cup stuff

Since when did Red, White and Blue become Black, White and Bile Green? What country does Megan Rapinoe represent? What was U.S. Soccer thinking? Oh, I guess they weren’t.

Catherine Wirtz Westlake Village

Who got paid off for requiring the women to play on the awful artificial turf?

Mike Kvammen South Pasadena

The Los Angeles Times welcomes expression­s of all views. Letters should be brief and become the property of The Times. They may be edited and republishe­d in any format. Each must include a valid address and phone number. Pseudonyms will not be used. Mail: Sports Viewpoint Los Angeles Times 202 W. 1st St. Los Angeles, CA 90012 Fax: (213) 237-4322 Email: sports@latimes.com

 ?? Al Bello
Getty Images ?? VICTOR ESPINOZA WAS RIDING HIGH after guiding American Pharoah to victory in the Belmont Stakes, giving the colt the Triple Crown.
Al Bello Getty Images VICTOR ESPINOZA WAS RIDING HIGH after guiding American Pharoah to victory in the Belmont Stakes, giving the colt the Triple Crown.

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