In what proved little more than a final victory lap, Zayat Stable's Triple Crown hero American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) wrapped up his career on the track the easiest of GI Breeders' Cup Classic winners, galloping home to score by a record-tying 6 1/2 lengths in 2:00.07. Longshot Effinex (Mineshaft) traveled in second from start to finish, while 'TDN Rising Star' Honor Code (A.P. Indy) rallied powerfully to fill out the trifecta. “I am so proud of this horse, but I am so relieved,” offered Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. “After his last race [when second in the GI Travers S.] I got so down on myself. When he's right, he's right and you saw what he can do today. It has been a privilege to train this horse. It's tough to win a Breeders' Cup; you'd better come with a good horse. I am so proud of him. This is the greatest horse I'll ever see. He is a champion. I am so glad that American Pharoah goes out the champion he is. We're all going to miss him.” American Pharoah will now head down the road from Keeneland to Coolmore's Ashford Stud for the 2016 breeding season.
Saturday, Keeneland
BREEDERS' CUP CLASSIC-GI, $4,550,000, KEE, 10-31, 3yo/up,
1 1/4m, 2:00.07, ft.
1–AMERICAN PHAROAH, 122, c, 3, by Pioneerof the Nile
1st Dam: Littleprincessemma, by Yankee Gentleman
2nd Dam: Exclusive Rosette, by Ecliptical
3rd Dam: Zetta Jet, by Tri Jet
($300,000 Ylg '13 FTSAUG). O/B-Zayat Stables, LLC (KY); T-Bob
Baffert; J-Victor Espinoza. $2,750,000. Lifetime Record: Ch.
2yo Colt, 2015 Triple Crown Winner, 11-9-1-0, $8,650,300.
Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
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2–Effinex, 126, c, 4, Mineshaft">Mineshaft–What a Pear, by E Dubai.
O-Tri-Bone Stables; B-Russell S. Cohen (NY); T-James A.
Jerkens. $900,000.
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3–Honor Code, 126, r, 4, A.P. Indy–Serena's Cat, by Storm Cat.
“TDN Rising Star” O-Lane”s End Racing, Dell Ridge Farm LLC & Teresa Viola Racing; B-Dell Ridge Farm, LLC (KY); T-Claude R.
McGaughey III. $500,000.
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Margins: 6HF, 4HF, 1HF. Odds: 0.70, 33.00, 4.70.
Also Ran: Keen Ice, Tonalist, Hard Aces, Frosted, Gleneagles (Ire). Scratched: Beholder, Smooth Roller.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
With the scratches first of Beholder (Henny Hughes) and of Smooth Roller (Hard Spun) early Saturday, American Pharoah loomed the controlling speed and off without incident from the four hole and had token pressure from Effinex and a closer-than-usual Tonalist (Tapit) through an opening quarter-mile in :23.99. With the prohibitive favorite galloping along effortlessly, Effinex tried to turn up the heat as they hit the half-mile marker in 1:11.21. American Pharoah was given a bit more rein on the turn and he began to lengthen his stride further still–the result was really not in doubt when they reached the head of the stretch. Effinex plugged away gamely and Honor Code made belated progress from the back of the field, but the Zayat runner never broke a sweat as he eclipsed the $8-million mark in career earnings.
“I knew this was going to be his last race and I let him run,” said pilot Victor Espinoza, who got emotional after the race with the realization that he'd soon be dismounting American Pharoah for the final time. “On the backside, the path I was in was a little deep, so I decided to move out and he accelerated a little. Turning for home, I knew I was gone. American Pharoah was the best horse I have ever ridden. This time he felt like the American Pharoah from the Triple Crown and not the Travers.”
Last year's champion juvenile despite missing the Breeders' Cup off the strength of wins in the GI Del Mar Futurity and GI FrontRunner S., the bay picked up right where he left off with easy-as-could be scores in Oaklawn's GII Rebel S. in March and GI Arkansas Derby in April.
A 39-10 favorite that many handicappers tried to beat in the GI Kentucky Derby May 2, American Pharoah proved clearly best before completely outclassing his competition by seven lengths following heavy downpours in the GI Preakness S. May 16. Still with a few questions to answer–and history to contend with–in the GI Belmont S. June 6, the homebred sauntered around Big Sandy from start to finish to easily handle Frosted (Tapit) and Keen Ice (Curlin).
Sportingly kept in training by the Zayats after many expected he'd be retired, American Pharoah turned in what might have been his most visually impressive victory up to that point when cantering home with Monmouth's GI Haskell Invitational S. by 2 1/4 geared-down lengths over the fast-charging Keen Ice. Things weren't so easy for him in the Travers, however, as Frosted pestered the big chalk through taxing fractions, ultimately setting things up for the progressive Haskell runner-up to upend 'Pharoah' by 3/4 of a length.
“When I saddled him, I could tell that he was full of himself,” added Baffert, winner of last year's Classic with Bayern (Offlee Wild) and second in overall BC wins at 12 behind only D. Wayne Lukas. “He was right. I was so worried. I just wanted to make sure everything went just right. I felt an extreme amount of pressure. When you have a good horse like this, you want it to all go right. In the paddock, I told Victor that he was right today and just to ride him. Down the backside with the way he was going, I knew from then on… Then turning for home, I felt good. I am just glad that the real 'Pharoah' showed up today.”
Owner Ahmed Zayat added, “What can I say? What a horse! He is the most brilliant horse I have ever seen. We are so appreciative to have him and we owe American Pharoah everything. He is a once-in-a-lifetime horse. This race was only about American Pharoah and we wanted him to go out a winner. He runs with his heart and he is brilliantly fast. This was an incredible thrill. It was so emotional. I didn't know even see the final eighth [of a mile] because I had my eyes closed the whole time. It was so emotional.”
Littleprincessemma, a $250,000 KEESEP yearling who was winless in two starts for Zayat and Steve Asmussen, sold for $2.1 million to Summer Wind Farm at last year's Fasig-Tipton November Sale carrying a full brother to the Derby winner. The half sister to graded stakes winners Storm Wolf (Stormin Fever) and Misty Rosette (Stormin Fever) produced a Pioneerof the Nile filly in 2014, and another colt by the former Zayat colorbearer earlier this year who was named Irish Pharaoh. Littprincessemma was bred back to Tapit.
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