Remembering the Legacy of American Pharoah, Two Years Later
In the midst of Arrogate’s dominance in the Dubai World Cup, the racing world has been lit up with bold opinions. Some say he’s the greatest since Secretariat, the best horse in the past quarter century. Many deem him better than Triple Crown winner American Pharoah.
As one of Arrogate’s biggest fans; and someone lucky enough to have seen his sensational win in the Travers Stakes in person at Saratoga last summer, I am not ready to put him above American Pharoah.
I, like many others, look forward to the Kentucky Derby all year long. I start picking out my favorites in the two-year-old races, with hopes my chosen horse can make it into the starting gates on the first Saturday in May. The Kentucky Derby is like no other, the twenty most talented three-year-olds in the country run in the biggest race of their lives, at a distance longer than they have ever run. It takes a strong, mature professional to win on racing’s biggest stage.
My purpose of this article is not to convince you that American Pharoah is better than Arrogate. It’s not about picking sides, but more importantly, respectfully recognizing a champion who completed a feat with mesmerizing ease, not seen in 37 years.
The reason the Triple Crown is so tough to win, is the three biggest races of a horse’s career are grouped in a very short five week span. It’s open only to three-year-olds, demanding the horse be at its best at a young age. The Triple Crown trail is grueling, and meant to tire a horse, with only the absolute best surviving. American Pharoah rose to every occasion. He shrugged off Firing Line and Dortmund to win in the Kentucky Derby, he skipped through the slop in the Preakness Stakes to capture the second jewel of the Triple Crown, and went onto Belmont, to win the Belmont Stakes to capture the Triple Crown, leading the whole race with his ears pricked forward.
I was lucky enough to see that incredible moment in person too. Even if you had bet against American Pharoah, you can’t deny the life it brought to the sport. This is what we dream of seeing as racing fans! It could be another thirty seven years; I was basking in the moment.
About a week before last year’s Belmont, Arrogate broke his maiden. At the same point when Pharoah was accomplishing the biggest achievement of his career, and the biggest spectacle in racing, Arrogate was just getting started. Every horse matures differently, I mean that in no way to take away from Arrogate’s talent. The great Zenyatta got off to a slow start, California Chrome really hit another gear as an older horse, and the great turf mare Tepin got much better with age. The point I am trying to make, is that it is extremely hard to find a young horse peaking at the time the Triple Crown demands; one who can handle three races in five weeks, at three different tracks, and at three different distances. Could Arrogate have won the Triple Crown? No, because at that time, he was just not ready. Could American Pharoah have won the Dubai World Cup at four? We will never know, maybe he wouldn’t have been as good of an older horse as Arrogate is shaping up to be.
Arrogate’s next race is planned to be the Pacific Classic in August, according to his trainer Bob Baffert. That will make only his fourth start in a year since his win in the Travers at Saratoga last summer. To understand and appreciate American Pharoah more; remember, American Pharoah won the three biggest races of his life in only five weeks. Just eight weeks later, he came back and romped in the Haskell Invitational in a gallop, while being geared down in the stretch. After a gallant second in the Travers, he came back in the Breeders’ Cup Classic to win by six and a half lengths with ease, defeating talented older horses including the previous year’s Belmont Stakes winner Tonalist.
Racing fans have been blessed with two unbelievably talented colts in Arrogate and American Pharoah. Before you decide that Arrogate is a better horse than American Pharoah, at least appreciate American Pharoah for his amazing accomplishments. American Pharoah became the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years, in doing so, he recorded the sixth fastest Belmont Stakes time in history, and the second fastest among Triple Crown winners, getting faster and faster with each quarter mile, something unheard of in a mile and a half race. He won six grade one races in his three-year-old career, and had a total winning margin of 44 1/2-lengths for his career. In Larry Collmus’ words: “A Triple Crown winner, a Breeders’ Cup winner, a horse of a lifetime!”