"The Belmont eats horses and American Pharoah doesn't have it."
"History clearly shows that American Pharoah will be the next horse to almost win the Triple Crown."
In the days leading up to the Belmont Stakes, multitudes of sports writers gazed into their crystal balls and forecasted, with self-proclaimed precision, about American Pharoah's defeat. Article after article detailed their arrogant thoughts and visions of how American Pharoah would simply be another statistic winning the Derby and Preakness but failing miserably at the 1 1/2 mile Belmont Stakes.
True, it had been 37 years since the last Triple Crown winner--that's a pure testament to the difficulty of the title. And yes, there are owners, managers, and/or trainers who purposely withhold their strong runners from earlier races and strategically place them in the Belmont hoping their fresh horse to be the spoiler. Heated voices want to prohibit the tactic, and I vehemently disagree. Previous Triple Crown winners took down fresh horses so let's not lower the standards now (this isn't public education), that would be an absolute insult to the former Champions!
American Pharoah took the Kentucky Derby and dazzled everyone on the soupy race track at the Preakness. The Triple Crown build up had cameras flashing all around him. He seemed to enjoy the attention. As other racers peered out their stall and nervously chewed on nearby wooden trim or huge rubber balls dangling on ropes, American Pharoah looked around at his surroundings. His alert eyes absorbed incoming information while his intelligent brain processed the data. He was calm. His trainer commented how other race horses frequently are aggressive and will bite but explained how American Pharoah will nuzzle you and want to be your friend. True class.
As the gates opened at the Belmont, American Pharoah's start wasn't perfect, but his jockey had him dart to lead along the rail. Thundering hooves, flared nostrils, chiseled muscles, veins like road maps under sweaty skin, tails flailing like wind socks in 40 mph winds, the roar of the crowd...the race captured it all. Along the back stretch, the group was close enough that it was anyone's race, except American Pharoah's head was slightly bent down with tight reins--he was being held back! He still had another gear we hadn't yet seen. I got chills with goosebumps.
His stride is low and effortless. Others' churning hooves had debris fling high into the air as American Pharoah floated along in the lead. Coming to the home stretch, the reins loosened--American Pharoah was given his head! He responded, pulling away from everyone. Running all out like a true Champion who's love for running had him empty his gas tank, 5 1/2 lengths ahead of the the second place horse!
The Triple Crown, in my opinion, is one of the most difficult athletic endeavors and is only held by truly great horses. (Secretariat is still, and most likely will always be, in a class by himself--a Super Horse freak of nature!) I purposely did not name the owner, his NYU graduate son who cannot spell and has a shiny silver spoon stuck up his ass, the trainer or even the jockey.
This is all about the horse!
Congrats American Pharoah, I'm tickled to have witnessed your journey and Triple Crown victory. Best of all, I love that all the nay-sayers can pucker up and kiss exactly what your competition stared at while you ran!
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