Watchmaker: American Pharoah's connections great ambassadors for sport

Before I get to some impressions of Saturday’s stakes action, a word about American Pharoah and, specifically, his connections.

It is tremendous the way American Pharoah’s people have shared their Triple Crown hero, and themselves, with the public. I understand it’s probably much easier to be magnanimous after winning the Triple Crown. But nowhere is it written that this all had to play out the beautiful way it has over the last week.

The Zayats, trainer Bob Baffert, and jockey Victor Espinoza have been gracious to accept what many would consider a burdensome public relations responsibility, and yet they’ve hit all the right notes in their many appearances. They have proved to be the best ambassadors for our sport any of us could have hoped for and at a critical time when the general public is interested and watching en masse. We owe the Zayats, Baffert, and Espinoza our thanks.

As for American Pharoah, it has become great fun to speculate on his next start or two. But in this case, it might make more sense to work backward. If, say, either the Pacific Classic at Del Mar (where American Pharoah eventually will be based) on Aug. 22 or the Travers at Saratoga on Aug. 29 would be the principal late-summer goal, then you would think, what with both of those races being at 1 1/4 miles, that the Triple Crown winner would have one start beforehand. I wouldn’t put it past American Pharoah to win either race going 10 furlongs off a June 6 layoff. But I just doubt he’ll be asked to do that.

This is why the Haskell at Monmouth on Aug. 2 is the 1-5 favorite to be American Pharoah’s next start. The Haskell’s $1 million purse befits a Triple Crown winner, it’s a race Baffert has had incredible success in, and being at 1 1/8 miles, it’s the perfect spot both to launch a return and use as a springboard to longer races.

One interesting thing about the timing of the Haskell is it comes only 20 days before the Pacific Classic. Now, after seeing the way American Pharoah handled four starts in eight weeks from the Arkansas Derby through the Belmont Stakes, I wouldn’t think that quick turnaround would be a deal breaker. But the extra week the Travers affords might turn out to be a huge selling point.

Saturday notes

** Despite being run on a Churchill Downs main track that appeared tilted toward on-the-pace runners, Noble Bird and Lea both ran well finishing one-two in the Stephen Foster.

Noble Bird, who tracked an overmatched early pacesetter before taking a lead on the far turn he never would relinquish, has found himself this year as a dirt router. The Foster was only Noble Bird’s second start in a stakes race (he was narrowly beaten in the Alysheba in his previous outing despite being pace-compromised), and he continues to improve from start to start.

Lea was a little farther back early but not that far back, and he ran big to miss by a diminishing neck. This was Lea’s first start back from his journey to the Dubai World Cup, in which he was third, and it was encouraging that he didn’t show much of a “Dubai hangover.” I expect Lea only to improve on this effort, and he and Noble Bird lend some real quality to a handicap division seeking some order.

** Beholder, on the other hand, confirmed she is the clear leader of the older female division with a clever score in the Adoration at Santa Anita. But while Beholder scored while doing less than her best – man, does she look set for a big second half of the season – Warren’s Veneda deserves some credit for her game second-place finish.

In Beholder’s absence, Warren’s Veneda dominated Southern California’s older female division early this year. Warren’s Veneda didn’t beat much in her big wins in the Santa Margarita and Santa Maria, but even if she was only second best Saturday, she did show she is much more than just a mare who can only victimize empty fields.

** Saturday was a tough day for South American turf horses. Bal a Bali, a Horse of the Year and Triple Crown winner in his native Brazil and so impressive winning the American Stakes in his recent U.S. debut, was completely flat finishing fifth and last in the Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita. Il Campione, a champion in his native Chile at 2 and 3, was surprisingly one-paced finishing third as the favorite in Belmont’s Poker Stakes in his U.S. unveiling.

Pace, always so, so critical, was especially important in the Shoemaker Mile and Poker. Winning Prize, with blinkers on, and Midnight Storm conspired for a pace in the Shoemaker that enabled Talco to rally successfully from last. The fact that Talco won is evidence of just how empty Bal a Bali was. Talco finished second to Bal a Bali in the American, beaten a length, which is a lot in a turf race. Handicappers know that margins in turf races are far more compressed than they are in dirt races, so one length on turf means a lot more than you might think.

As for the Poker, the issue concerning pace was: There wasn’t any. Despite considerable speed in the race on paper, King Kreesa was absolutely gifted with an uncontested early lead through fractions of 23.69 seconds and 47.76. Those splits were incredibly slow considering the class of horse and how hard the turf courses are these days at Belmont, and school was out. King Kreesa is an admirable old pro, and it’s always nice to see a good guy like trainer Dave Donk win, but King Kreesa got a huge base on balls Saturday.

And under the circumstances, Vyjack, in his turf debut and first start for trainer Bill Mott, ran very well in the Poker to be a fast-closing second.