American Pharoah romps in the rain
By Tim Wilkin
BALTIMORE — It was hard to figure out which was more powerful at Pimlico Race Course early Saturday evening.
Was it the monster rainstorm with heavy rain, wind, thunder and lightning that blew over the city right before the 140th Preakness Stakes? Or was it the dominating, eye-opening performance from American Pharoah, whose 7-length victory in the $1.5 million race has put him in position to make history in three weeks at Belmont Park?
That would be an easy answer if you were among the record Preakness crowd of 131,680 at Pimlico who saw American Pharoah’s easy win under tough conditions.
The 4-5 favorite made his seven opponents look as though as they were standing in mud in the 13⁄ 16- mile race. Actually, they were.
American Pharoah and jockey Victor Espinoza went straight to the lead and weren’t seriously threatened, and the colt has won six straight races after losing his career debut. If you don’t include his tough Kentucky Derby victory, when he won by a length, American Pharoah has won his other five races by a combined 29¼ lengths.
And now it’s on to New York for American Pharoah, Espinoza, trainer Bob Baffert and owner Ahmed Zayat. They will try to enter the thoroughbred racing history books with a win in the 1½-mile Belmont Stakes on June 6.
American Pharoah becomes the 35th horse in the history of the sport to win the Kentucky Derby and Preakness. Only 11 of them left New York as a Triple Crown winner, the last being Affirmed in 1978.
California Chrome finished fourth in last year’s Belmont and I’ll Have Another didn’t get to the starting gate in 2012 after an injury ended his bid the day before the race.
“I have seen some really good horses go up to New York and falter,” Baffert said after the race.
Though Saturday’s Preakness was impressive, American Pharoah’s time of 1:58.46 was the slowest Preakness since 1950. The horse that finished second in this race, 28-1 shot Tale of Verve, had only a maiden win on his resume.
American Pharoah paid $3.80, $3.40 and $2.80; Tale of Verve returned $19 and $8.80; and Divining Rod paid $5.20 to show.
The expected challengers to Pharoah didn’t materialize Saturday. Stablemate Dortmund, who finished third in the Kentucky Derby after winning his first six starts, was a non-threatening fourth.
Martin Garcia, who rode Dortmund, said his colt didn’t take to the track, which was downgraded from fast to sloppy after the storm hit.
The weather “really did bother my horse,” Garcia said. “He didn’t like it at all. He was not even trying. He is way better than that.”
The horse who many thought could beat American Pharoah didn’t do much at all. Firing Line, who was second in the Kentucky Derby, took a stumble on his second step out of the gate.
“He went down on his head and never got hold of the track,” said Firing Line’s trainer, Simon Callaghan. “Nothing was happening for him today. This really is disappointing.”
Jockey Gary Stevens, who was confident about Firing Line’s chances, knew he was finished early. Stevens said Firing Line had a small puncture wound on the inside of his right front that came, he thinks, as a result of the stumble.
Stevens also said he thinks Firing Line might have lost his right front shoe in the incident.
“That is what got him,” Stevens said with a shrug. “I have had horses overcome it, but not in a race like this. You have to be so much the best. But no one was beating that winner today.”
Now there are three weeks of hype as Baffert gets another shot at history. He said he will decide Monday where American Pharoah will prepare for the Belmont. He either will send him straight to New York or go back to Kentucky, where he stayed at Churchill Downs after winning the Derby.
“Horse racing needed a lift,” Baffert said. “Whether he wins the next one or not, he has brought a lot to the table.”