American Pharoah seeking Triple Crown

Yeah, after seeing the race and how he was pulling away in such a long race, I am more impressed. It is unusual for a horse to not be almost completely out of gas by the end of the Belmont. As I said earlier, the fact that I was in the office when I watched it, it sucks that I couldn't fully appreciate it. I wish I could have seen some people who actually know what they're talking about discussing it, instead of the a-holes on the 1 am SportsCenter and FS Live.

 

Coming down the stretch, where most TC favorites run out of gas and sputter to the finish line, AP looked like he shifted into a higher gear. After he made the turn for home, he left the pack behind.

Not in the same galaxy as Secretariat of course, but kind of the same template.

 

That is what struck me on the replay. I guess I just dismissed it as I watched with co-workers, but every previous TC hopeful was sucking wind at the end. Not this time.

 

A portion of this story ran in one of the local papers. A cute little story you might not see in most papers.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/05/sports/barnyard-buddies-curl-up-at-belmont.html

 

This also happened at Belmont yesterday.

Helwan euthanized after breakdown at Belmont Park - Newsday

 

Crap. I hate these stories. Amazing how strong and fragile these animals are at the same time. And then ...

"This is the great shame of American racing, I believe," Guillermo said. "American racing is all about drugs and medication and the European horses that come over here, the [owners] feel they have a competitive disadvantage if they don't also use race day medication."

 

In high school, my favorite class was AP American History and English block. Thus, I loved the headline I saw yesterday: AP American history.

 

Humblebrag post.

 

As a casual fan, it was exciting to see American Pharoah win at Belmont. When I opened this weeks SI, I was mesmerized at how muscular he looked, a beautiful horse. As sad as I was to see California Chrome lose last year, it was fun to see AP win the TC.

 

While everyone is celebrating the TC win, it's fair to notice that most every dirt race at Belmont Saturday was won by horses on or near the pace. By the 12th race, it wasn't rocket science that AP was the lone speed on a inside-biased track.
American Pharoah's closest call was a length in the Derby, where the track played mostly "fair" all day.
Then, he won by 7-plus lengths in a Preakness raced in the last-second slop, and won by 5 1/2 lengths on the Belmont conveyor belt.
Maybe just as impressive a winner Saturday was Honor Code in the Met Mile. He was dead last at the 3/8 pole and rallied to win on a surface that wasn't favoring closers at all. They may be eye-balling a shot at AP in the Breeders' Cup Classic, just have to see how the campaigns turn out for each.
I side with the others. 1:13 and change for the 1st 3/4 mile, then 1:13 and change for the last 6 furlongs? He should've tired at least by a second late, which would've then made him vulnerable to an otherwise languishing Frosted.
Hyopthetcial as it is —— in 1973, Secretariat would've been likely run 2:23 if he'd caught a surface similar to Saturday's track variant, which is difficult to wrap thy head around.
Just learned Andy Beyer gave Pharoah a 105 Speed Figure -- Honor Code a 112, albeit at a short distance.

 

Yeah, AP is ripped. Can't remember a horse looking so muscular.

 

Eh. I defer to donjulio's knowledge, but I'm forever giddy that I finally saw a Triple Crown, and that I was in the building when it started, on a perfect late spring day in Louisville, Ky. Saw him come thundering around the final turn right in front of me.