Triple Crown tough series, with no regrets
Imagine Usain Bolt having to beat a bunch of well- rested runners in every heat to capture an Olympic gold medal.
Or Serena Williams competing in the French Open final against a rival who didn’t bother playing in the quarters or semifinals.
Now you have an idea of what American Pharoah is trying to accomplish in the Belmont Stakes. That’s why the Triple Crown is possibly the toughest feat in sports. Today, American Pharoah will attempt to become the first horse in 37 years to sweep the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont.
While the bay colt with the unusually short tail looked unbeatable in his first two victories, there’s a reason we’ve gone so long between Triple Crown winners. Namely, it’s not exactly a fair race. American Pharoah will be the only horse running in all three events over a five- week period. And the Belmont is longest of them all, a brutally tough 1 1/ 2- mile trip that’s been the downfall of some truly great contenders.
Not that it should be any different, mind behind the winner — and taking first in the you. Preakness.
This is why the Triple Crown is still a “It’s a challenge to keep your horse fresh quest that grabs the country’s attention in and happy for three races in a matter of five May and June, even while horse racing looks weeks,” said Doug O’Neill, who trained I’ll very much like a dying sport the rest of the Have Another during his aborted bid for the year. Triple Crown three years ago. “Then you’ve
“It’s a tough series,” Hall of Fame jockey got new shooters coming at you in the second Steve Cauthen said, “and it’s supposed to be.” two legs.”
Cauthen was aboard Affirmed for the most Bob Baffert, who trains American Pharoah, recent Triple Crown in 1978. His biggest rival was asked about having to compete against was Alydar, who also competed in all three basically an entire field that didn’t run in events and was edged at the wire each time. Baltimore in order to focus on the Belmont. Only three other horses entered the Belmont “I don’t blame them,” Baffert said. “That that year, and one of them — Noon Time part of the Triple Crown doesn’t bother me Spender — had also raced three weeks earlier at all.” in the Preakness. Madefromlucky is trying to follow the
Compare that with American Pharoah’s same path — skip the first two races, race challengers in this year’s eight- horse field. instead in the Peter Pan — that carried Tonalist
Tale of Verve sat out the Kentucky Derby to victory in last year’s Belmont, denying before finishing second on a stormy day in California Chrome the Triple Crown. the Preakness. Five other horses haven’t run After his horse finished in a dead heat since the Kentucky Derby, meaning they’re for fourth, California Chrome owner Steve about as rested as they would normally be on Coburn went on an angry tirade about the the once- a- month racing schedule that most unfairness of allowing trainers to cherry- pick horses follow. Same for Madefromlucky, who which events they enter. He said the Belmont skipped the first two Triple Crown events and should be limited to horses that have raced in last raced a month ago ( and won) at Belmont the first two Triple Crown events ( not going Park in the Peter Pan Stakes. to happen). Or, at the very least, the Preakness
Another indication of what American and Belmont should only be open to horses Pharoah is up against: It’s been a full decade that raced in the Kentucky Derby, he added. since a horse won the Belmont after racing in “It’s all or nothing,” Coburn said. “This is both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness. not fair to these horses that have been running Afleet Alex won in 2005 after finishing third their guts out for these people and for in the Kentucky Derby — less than a length the people who believe in them. This is the
Oa k l a w n Pa r k Si m u l c a s t Ra c i n g coward’s way out.”
Actually, that was just ramblings of a sore loser.
A voice of reason is provided by Penny Chenery, the 93- year- old former owner of 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat.
“I hope they don’t change the format,” she said. “I don’t think the issue of fresh horses is such a big deal. The trainer knows how to get his horse at the peak for the last challenge. With Secretariat, the more work we threw at him, the stronger he got.”
Now we’ll find out if American Pharoah is up to the challenge.
O’Neill believes he will be, comparing him to a baseball pitcher who gets in a zone after pitching four or five innings. No, he’s not as fresh as he was at the beginning of the game, but he more than makes up for it with his rhythm and confidence.
“American Pharoah is good enough even with two hard races under his belt to beat the fresher horses,” O’Neill said. “I’m pulling for him big- time. I think everyone in the racing industry is pulling for him.”
If he’s beaten today, that will only add to the aura of the Triple Crown. Nothing wrong with that. “If you make it too easy,” Chenery wisely said, “we’ll have more Triple Crown winners and it will lose its validity.”
AP Racing Writer Beth Harris York contributed to this report.
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