Strap yourselves in. America is now gripped with Triple Crown fever after American Pharoah proved he is the dominant horse of the three-year-old crop with a devastating win in the Preakness Stakes overnight.
The Kentucky Derby winner was far too good on a sloppy track under Victor Espinoza after a thunderstorm hit Pimlico Racecourse just moments before the 140th running of the second leg of the famed three-race series.
American Pharoah’s seven-length win over outsider Tale Of Verve and Joel Rosario was the largest winning margin since Smarty Jones in 2004. Diving Rod and Javier Castellano were third.
American Pharoah becomes the 35th horse to add the Preakness Stakes to a win at Churchill Downs, and will bid to become the first horse seal the Triple Crown with a win in the Belmont Stakes since Affirmed in 1978.
Jockey Victor Espinoza will become the first jockey to have a third attempt at Triple Crown glory after he failed with California Chrome last year and War Emblem in 2002.
“Hopefully it will be third time lucky,” Espinoza told NBC.
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In little more than 10 minutes, a well-sealed track was turned sloppy as rain fell heavily and lightning flashed across the sky in Baltimore. It was almost as if it was a sign from above, as Espinoza decided to change his tactics and as soon as the gates opened he angled his mount straight to the rail and immediately assumed the lead.
American Pharoah was never headed, but was pressed by Mr Z and Corey Nakatani during the early stages. They flashed through the first quarter of a mile in 22.8 seconds as they were pursued by Dortmund, American Pharaoh’s stablemate, and jockey Martin Garcia.
Espinoza gave American Pharoah a breather in the back stretch when Mr Z and Dortmund closed the gap. Once Espinoza saw the stretch looming, however, he urged his mount on and the pair came out like a slingshot and galloped all the way to the line.
Firing Line, the Derby runner-up, had slipped badly on emerging from the stalls under Gary Stevens, and was then caught four wide on the first bend only for his jockey to look after him out the back. The horse eventually finished seventh of the eight runners.
The conditions were so bad that it was the slowest Preakness run for over 60 years at 1m.58.46s.
The win resulted in Bob Baffert drawing alongside D Wayne Lukas with six Preakness victories, five of which were with Kentucky Derby winners.
“He’s just an incredible horse,” an emotional Baffert said. “He is amazing. He is different.
“When the rains came down the weather really scared but if great horses do great things and the fans got to see a good horse today.”
American Pharoah now has three weeks rest before he meets his date with destiny in the 147th Belmont Stakes on June 6.
Baffert has taken three horses to Belmont with Triple Crown aspirations. Real Quiet was beaten by a nose in 1998, subsequent Dubai World Cup winner Silver Charm was three quarters of a lengths adrift a year later, while War Emblem was stuffed.
“I don’t even want to think about the (Triple Crown) right now,” Baffert said. “I want to enjoy this. It’s tough (at Belmont). I’ve been there and I don’t want to think about it for another couple of weeks.”
The Belmont Stakes is run over 2,400 metres, but there is a good chance that the winner can finally end America’s agonising wait for a horse to go through the three races as his grandsire, Empire Maker, beat five others at Belmont Park in 2003.
“I have always told everybody that the real American Pharaoh would show off today,” owner Ahmed Zayat said. “He is the real deal. Let’s have another run at it. The sport needs him.”
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