Flashback: American Pharoah romps in 2015 Arkansas Derby
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Photo:
Eclipse Sportswire
I still remember the excitement radiating from
racing fans across the country during the winter of 2015, when a breathtaking
3-year-old named American Pharoah was burning up racetracks in mornings.
As a juvenile, the son of Pioneerof the Nile had shown flashes of pure talent and brilliance. With front-running speed, American Pharoah dominated quality fields in the Del Mar Futurity (G1) and FrontRunner Stakes (G1), running fast times and earning huge speed figures. He would have been a clear favorite to win the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, but a minor injury forced his withdrawal, leaving the distant FrontRunner third-place finisher Texas Red to score an easy victory.
Even still, American Pharoah was voted the champion 2-year-old male that season. Ridden by Victor Espinoza and conditioned by Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, American Pharoah entered winter as a highly promising prospect, albeit one with plenty left to prove.
Then something strange began to happen. After taking time off, American Pharoah returned to serious training at Santa Anita, cranking out a series of eye-catching workouts in preparation for his 3-year-old campaign. An unfamiliar vibe started emanating from California. American Pharoah wasn’t just a good horse, observers claimed. He was the one
— the superstar who would end the fabled
Triple Crown drought.
RELATED: See more HRN race flashbacks
It had been 37 years since the tough-as-nails Affirmed had battled to tenacious
victories in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes, in the process
becoming racing’s 11th Triple Crown winner. During the ensuing years, a few
talented runners had come close to emulating Affirmed — Silver Charm, Real Quiet,
Smarty Jones — but all had faltered in the Belmont Stakes, leaving some to
question whether the Triple Crown had become impossible to win.
American Pharoah brought a different feeling to the equation. His effortless workouts, coupled with his brilliance as a juvenile, combined to generate an aura of impending invincibility.
Certainly American Pharoah lived up to expectations in his first start of 2015. Favored at 2-5 in the Rebel Stakes (G2), he overcame a slightly troubled start to waltz along over a sloppy track at Oaklawn Park and win by 6 1/4 lengths, finishing fast to earn a third straight triple-digit Beyer speed figure.
Then came the 2015 Arkansas Derby (G1) at Oaklawn, American Pharoah’s final prep for
the spring classics. And in an extraordinary performance, the rising star left
no doubt about his otherworldly talent.
A crowd of 67,500 people turned out to witness American Pharoah’s return to Grade 1 company, and they didn’t go home disappointed. Sent off at 1-10 while facing seven rivals, American Pharoah showed a new dimension in the Arkansas Derby. Whereas the speedy colt had employed front-running tactics in his three previous victories, American Pharoah was required to rate in the Arkansas Derby, settling three lengths behind fast fractions of :22.77 and :45.99 set by longshot Bridget’s Big Luvy.
For a moment, racing analysts wondered — how would American Pharoah respond to the change in tactics? Some horses get discouraged when facing new circumstances and fail to fire their best shot. Even Baffert wondered how the change would affect American Pharoah; in an article by Robert Yates published in The Blood-Horse after the race, Baffert was quoted as saying, “When that other horse, Bridget’s Big Luvy, got off to that lead, it was either that [American Pharoah] was going to rate or he’s going to be empty today.”
But as the field charged into the far turn, American Pharoah advanced smoothly into contention, looming up alongside Bridget’s Big Luvy while clearly poised to pounce. And then — whoosh! — he was gone.
Espinoza barely moved a muscle as American Pharoah surged past the pacesetter, opening up a clear lead at the top of the stretch. Stablemate Mr. Z tried briefly to keep up, but American Pharoah was in a different league, extending his advantage with every flawless stride. Espinoza never went to the whip — for that matter, he barely even hand-urged the flying colt — and yet American Pharoah finished strongly down the lane, sprinting to the finish line eight lengths clear in the sharp time of 1:48.52.
“The way this horse runs is unbelievable,” Espinoza said in The Blood-Horse. “I don’t feel like he’s running that fast, and then I look back and he’s so far ahead. He was doing it by himself and doing it easy.”
Over the next eight weeks, American Pharoah made history with a gritty victory in the Kentucky Derby, a blowout success in the Preakness, and a heart-pounding triumph in the Belmont Stakes. As he charged to the finish line at Belmont Park, with the Triple Crown firmly in sight, track announcer Larry Collmus summed up the significance by declaring, “American Pharoah is finally the one!”
On June 6, 2015, American Pharoah entered the history books as one of racing’s immortal Triple Crown winners. But it was during the winter of his 3-year-old year — before he’d emerged for his seasonal debut — that the first whispers of his inevitable ascent began to trickle out of California, ushering in a thoroughly unforgettable Triple Crown season.
J. Keeler Johnson is a writer, videographer, handicapper, and all-around horse racing enthusiast. A great fan of racing history, he considers Dr. Fager to be the greatest racehorse ever produced in America, but counts Zenyatta as his all-time favorite. You can follow him on Twitter at @J_Keelerman.
As a juvenile, the son of Pioneerof the Nile had shown flashes of pure talent and brilliance. With front-running speed, American Pharoah dominated quality fields in the Del Mar Futurity (G1) and FrontRunner Stakes (G1), running fast times and earning huge speed figures. He would have been a clear favorite to win the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, but a minor injury forced his withdrawal, leaving the distant FrontRunner third-place finisher Texas Red to score an easy victory.
Even still, American Pharoah was voted the champion 2-year-old male that season. Ridden by Victor Espinoza and conditioned by Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, American Pharoah entered winter as a highly promising prospect, albeit one with plenty left to prove.
Then something strange began to happen. After taking time off, American Pharoah returned to serious training at Santa Anita, cranking out a series of eye-catching workouts in preparation for his 3-year-old campaign. An unfamiliar vibe started emanating from California. American Pharoah wasn’t just a good horse, observers claimed. He was the one
RELATED: See more HRN race flashbacks
American Pharoah brought a different feeling to the equation. His effortless workouts, coupled with his brilliance as a juvenile, combined to generate an aura of impending invincibility.
Certainly American Pharoah lived up to expectations in his first start of 2015. Favored at 2-5 in the Rebel Stakes (G2), he overcame a slightly troubled start to waltz along over a sloppy track at Oaklawn Park and win by 6 1/4 lengths, finishing fast to earn a third straight triple-digit Beyer speed figure.
A crowd of 67,500 people turned out to witness American Pharoah’s return to Grade 1 company, and they didn’t go home disappointed. Sent off at 1-10 while facing seven rivals, American Pharoah showed a new dimension in the Arkansas Derby. Whereas the speedy colt had employed front-running tactics in his three previous victories, American Pharoah was required to rate in the Arkansas Derby, settling three lengths behind fast fractions of :22.77 and :45.99 set by longshot Bridget’s Big Luvy.
For a moment, racing analysts wondered — how would American Pharoah respond to the change in tactics? Some horses get discouraged when facing new circumstances and fail to fire their best shot. Even Baffert wondered how the change would affect American Pharoah; in an article by Robert Yates published in The Blood-Horse after the race, Baffert was quoted as saying, “When that other horse, Bridget’s Big Luvy, got off to that lead, it was either that [American Pharoah] was going to rate or he’s going to be empty today.”
But as the field charged into the far turn, American Pharoah advanced smoothly into contention, looming up alongside Bridget’s Big Luvy while clearly poised to pounce. And then — whoosh! — he was gone.
Espinoza barely moved a muscle as American Pharoah surged past the pacesetter, opening up a clear lead at the top of the stretch. Stablemate Mr. Z tried briefly to keep up, but American Pharoah was in a different league, extending his advantage with every flawless stride. Espinoza never went to the whip — for that matter, he barely even hand-urged the flying colt — and yet American Pharoah finished strongly down the lane, sprinting to the finish line eight lengths clear in the sharp time of 1:48.52.
“The way this horse runs is unbelievable,” Espinoza said in The Blood-Horse. “I don’t feel like he’s running that fast, and then I look back and he’s so far ahead. He was doing it by himself and doing it easy.”
Over the next eight weeks, American Pharoah made history with a gritty victory in the Kentucky Derby, a blowout success in the Preakness, and a heart-pounding triumph in the Belmont Stakes. As he charged to the finish line at Belmont Park, with the Triple Crown firmly in sight, track announcer Larry Collmus summed up the significance by declaring, “American Pharoah is finally the one!”
On June 6, 2015, American Pharoah entered the history books as one of racing’s immortal Triple Crown winners. But it was during the winter of his 3-year-old year — before he’d emerged for his seasonal debut — that the first whispers of his inevitable ascent began to trickle out of California, ushering in a thoroughly unforgettable Triple Crown season.
J. Keeler Johnson is a writer, videographer, handicapper, and all-around horse racing enthusiast. A great fan of racing history, he considers Dr. Fager to be the greatest racehorse ever produced in America, but counts Zenyatta as his all-time favorite. You can follow him on Twitter at @J_Keelerman.
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