Keen Ice connections ready for rematch with American Pharoah

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – It’s somewhat unusual when the winner of a major sporting event craves a rematch with the just-vanquished opponent. On Sunday, however, the connections of Travers winner Keen Ice said they want to meet Triple Crown winner American Pharoah – whom they defeated by three-quarters of a length Saturday – again in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Oct. 31 at Keeneland.

Jerry Crawford, the head of Donegal Racing, which owns Keen Ice, extolled the virtues of both colts’ performances in the Travers. Noting that American Pharaoh ran faster in the Travers than he did winning the Kentucky Derby and got the same 105 Beyer Speed Figure as he did in the Derby, Crawford said Keen Ice was “able to beat him by running faster than he’d ever run. We’re very excited about that.”

“What we’re excited about going forward is hopefully a rematch at the Breeders’ Cup Classic,” Crawford said in the Saratoga winner’s circle Saturday afternoon. “We believe that at this moment, we have the best-bred, fastest 3-year-old horse in the world. We know our friends, the Zayats, might have a slight disagreement with that, so let’s get it on and meet up in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.”

Most would disagree that Keen Ice, now 2 for 11 in his career, is faster than American Pharoah, who beat Keen Ice in the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, and Haskell by a combined 18 lengths.

A rematch in the BC Classic remains to be determined. Ahmed Zayat, the owner of American Pharoah, is considering retiring the colt, though no decision on that is expected soon.

“Mr. Zayat’s a very emotional man,” Bob Baffert, the trainer of American Pharoah, said Sunday morning at Saratoga. “We were all pretty disappointed. We were surprised he got beat. We weren’t prepared for a losing speech. Basically, we’ll let the horse tell us what he’s doing. I really don’t know what the thoughts [are]. I know they’ll be going back and forth. He was a sportsman for bringing him up here and sharing him with Saratoga.”

Baffert said American Pharoah came out of the race “very well.” He said he thought it was “possible” he could get the horse ready to run in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

“As long as there’s nothing that comes up between now and then,” Baffert said. “I’m happy with the way he looks today. I can tell he’s not upset.”

Baffert brought the mild-mannered American Pharoah out of his stall Sunday morning to mingle with a few fans and the media, allowing some to feed him carrots and others to take pictures while holding the colt’s shank.

Both Keen Ice and American Pharoah were scheduled to fly back to their home bases in Kentucky and Southern California, respectively, on the same plane Monday. The Tex Sutton flight stops first in Lexington, Ky., then continues on to Southern California.

Dale Romans, the trainer of Keen Ice, said he “most likely” would train his horse up to the Breeders’ Cup Classic unless at some point he felt he needed to run the horse in a race in between.

“I don’t see where we’re going to need to,” Romans said.

Keen Ice, who earned a 106 Beyer Speed Figure for his Travers, was aided by Frosted pressing American Pharoah soon after the start. They went six furlongs in 1:11.48 with a third quarter that went in 23.18 seconds. American Pharoah couldn’t shake Frosted until the eighth pole.

Jose Lezcano had replaced an injured Joel Rosario on Frosted and let the horse apply pressure to American Pharoah despite trainer Kiaran McLaughlin wanting the horse to come from off the pace.

Baffert said he found Lezcano’s ride “a little odd, but he was trying to win the race. I’m not upset.”

McLaughlin chose Lezcano to replace Rosario because he had won 5 of 11 races for him this year. Three of those were stakes, including the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps on Wedding Toast. McLaughlin said he did not instruct Lezcano to take it to American Pharoah early.

“It wasn’t the instructions or the plan, but when the gates open, riders have to make their own decisions,” McLaughlin said. “It would have been nice to be where Keen Ice was and for Keen Ice to be where we were, but you knew on paper that wasn’t going to happen.”

McLaughlin said Frosted came out of the race “great.” McLaughlin said he wasn’t sure what might be next for Frosted, though he mentioned the Jockey Club Gold Cup on Oct. 3 at Belmont Park as a possibility.

Upstart, beaten 5 1/2 lengths when fourth in the Travers, was “a little tired but otherwise all right” Sunday morning, according to trainer Rick Violette.

Violette said he would consider running Upstart back in three weeks in the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby at Parx on Sept. 19 “without trying to fit a round peg in a square hole.”

Texas Red finished a disappointing fifth in the Travers without any obvious excuse, according to Julie Clark, assistant to trainer Keith Desormeaux. Clark said Texas Red will likely ship to a farm in Kentucky until Keeneland opens its backstretch. The Breeders’ Cup Classic is the goal.