Win or lose, American Pharoah will make history
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Over 152 years, history has been made countless times at Saratoga.
There was Jim Dandy upsetting Triple Crown winner Gallant Fox in the 1930 Travers at odds of 100-1. In 1973, Onion knocked off Triple Crown winner Secretariat in the Whitney Stakes. In 2009, the 3-year-old filly Rachel Alexandra raised the rafters at the Old Spa, holding off a host of older males to win the Grade 1 Woodward.
More history is in store Saturday when American Pharoah becomes just the fourth of the sport’s 12 Triple Crown winners to compete in the Travers. A crowd of 50,000-plus will bear witness to American Pharoah either joining Whirlaway (1941) as the only two Triple Crown winners to win the Travers or becoming another victim of the “Graveyard of Champions.” Four Eclipse Award winners from 2014 have already been defeated at this meet: Take Charge Brandi, Untapable, Judy the Beauty, and Demonstrative.
The presence of American Pharoah, last year’s juvenile champion, has brought palpable excitement to the area. Thousands of fans were expected to be here Friday morning when he was to gallop at 8:45 a.m. Bob Baffert, American Pharoah’s trainer, will be on hand after arriving here Thursday from Southern California.
“New York fans at Saratoga, they’re going to appreciate it,” Baffert said. “I saw the way they were with Rachel Alexandra. People want to be there and witness it if it happens. It’s very rare horses like this come along.”
Rare indeed is American Pharoah, who is scheduled to meet nine opponents in the 146th Travers Stakes, known as the Midsummer Derby and contested at 1 1/4 miles. He has won eight consecutive races dating back to Sept. 3, when he took the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity in his second career start after losing his debut. He delivered two powerhouse performances in Arkansas, persevered to win the Kentucky Derby, and then dominated the Preakness, Belmont, and Haskell.
“I’ve had good horses run races where nobody could beat them that day,” Baffert said. “Game On Dude ran races where nobody could have beaten him on that day.”
American Pharoah, Baffert said, “does it every time.”
“That is so rare.”
If the Triple Crown and all the cross-country travel has taken a toll on American Pharoah, it certainly didn’t show in the Haskell, a race he won by a measured 2 1/4 lengths under Victor Espinoza, who eased him the last 100 yards.
“Victor doesn’t say too much,” Baffert said. “After the Haskell he said, ‘Wow, man, this horse, he’s just stronger.’ ” We all came back like ‘Wow, what was that?’ It’s pretty amazing. We’re all going to have to go in group therapy when he leaves.”
In addition to being the best horse in the Travers field, American Pharoah appears to possess the most early speed. Breaking from post 2 under Espinoza – who will be riding at Saratoga for the first time since 2003 – American Pharoah should dictate the pace up front.
His challengers hope the constant east-to-west shipping, the powerful races he’s run, and the 1 1/4 miles of the Travers conspire to bring American Pharoah back to the pack a little bit.
“On a normal horse you’d say he’s very vulnerable,” said Dale Romans, trainer of Haskell runner-up and Travers rival Keen Ice. “But he’s proven not to be a normal horse.”
“This race has a little lack of pace, but with 10 horses I think American Pharoah has to go from the inside whether he’s one or two,” said Kiaran McLaughlin, trainer of Belmont Stakes runner-up and Travers entrant Frosted. “He wants to go and clear the field. He might set enough of a fast pace for us to close into.”
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Frosted had a useful prep race over the track, finishing second to Texas Red in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy on Aug. 1. He was beaten a half-length and lost a front shoe early in the race.
“We have really trained on very well since then, “ McLaughlin said. “We feel like we’re sitting on a big race. Whether that’s good enough we’ll find out.”
Texas Red finished third to American Pharoah in last year’s FrontRunner Stakes at Santa Anita. The two haven’t met since. Texas Red dominated the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile – a race American Pharoah missed due to injury – and he was kept out of the Triple Crown series with a foot abscess.
Trainer Keith Desormeaux targeted the Travers in March and feels that with a second-place finish in the Dwyer at Belmont and a win in the Jim Dandy, Texas Red is set up to run his best race on Saturday.
“If you could write a book how a horse is supposed to approach a race, this would be it,” Desormeaux said.
Desormeaux sees similarities in Texas Red and American Pharoah in terms of pedigree, conformation, and temperament.
“But it seems American Pharoah is faster,” Desormeaux said.
Upstart was entered but is not certain to run. He could scratch to await the Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Racing. On Thursday, however, trainer Rick Violette said, “If I have to make a choice right now, we’re running.”
The decision is based more on how Violette feels his horse is doing and not so much that he thinks American Pharoah is vulnerable.
“When they’re doing great you’re supposed to capitalize on it and run,” Violette said. “But, we could be 9-5 for a million dollars in three weeks and not have to face the best horse we’ve seen in 20 or 30 years.”
Smart Transition, winner of the Curlin Stakes, heads a list of longshots. Frammento, Mid Ocean, and Tale of Verve round out the field.
The Travers goes as race 11 on a 13-race card that begins at 11:45 a.m. Eastern. The Travers is final leg of an all Grade 1 stakes pick six that starts in race 6 with the Personal Ensign and includes the Ballerina, King’s Bishop, Forego, and Sword Dancer. The card also includes the Grade 2 Ballston Spa.
NBC will televise the Travers during a two-hour broadcast starting at 4 p.m.