WILL AMERICAN PHAROAH RUN FOREVER ???
With the Breeders’ Cup rapidly approaching and a showdown of epic proportion on the horizon, I have to ask a very important question. No, it has nothing to do with the mortgage fee on my hound dog, but rather, will Triple Crown champion American Pharoah run forever?
Perplexed by this pony preponderance? If you are wondering what kind of moron would ask such a question, let us expound upon the horsey how of him running through the annals of time. It has been well noted and even come straight from Pharoah mastermind Bob Baffert the Breeders’ Cup Classic will be the final start of his career. So if he will not enter the starting gates after October 31, 2015 , how does he run forever?
So here is where we explore a bit of equine philosophy. In the every day mind of today’s sports fan, Secretariat is still running. The history books tell us Big Red’s last start came on October 28, 1973 in the Canadian International at Woodbine. But, over the past 40 years or so, if you ask someone on the street about Thoroughbred horse racing, they most likely would say something about or know of Secretariat. His legendary feats and speed records during his Triple Crown triumph have placed him in the stratosphere forever. That says he is still thundering through philosophical furlong after furlong despite being off the track for many moons.
Now that some of the parameters have been established, we have to ask if Pharoah fits that same bill? Of course time will always lend perspective, but can the horse that broke a 37-year Triple Crown drought continue to run even after retirement?
“I think American Pharoah is the new-generation Secretariat ,” says Pharoah trainer Bob Baffert. “Secretariat will of course always be an icon because nobody had ever seen anything like him before. Setting all those records and winning by 31 lengths, that stuff was just incredible. American Pharoah is the horse that made everybody feel good about themselves. That day at the Belmont was just so special people will remember that for a long time.”
The next question is, does the Pharoah have to rule in the $5miilion Classic to keep running after retirement? My thoughts are, no he doesn’t. Of course if he closes his on-track career with a win in the richest race in North America it would certainly help, but in my eyes he has already ran his way to infinity and beyond. Nobody thought there would ever be another Triple Crown winner. It is just too tough in today’s ultra competitive world they said. The races are too close together were the cries. The new shooters and horses that skip legs will always be spoilers echoed throughout. But then along came the American Pharoah team. Combine a super intelligent colt with the heart of a champion and an experienced trainer that knows how to win on the road and you have the perfect storm, a storm people should always remember.
American Pharoah will likely go to post on October 31 as the favorite and rightfully so. He has captivated the entire world by accomplishing the “impossible” and has proven his worth time and again. But no matter who crosses the finish line first at Keeneland, American Pharoah’s gallop to everlasting glory will continue through the ages. That is the answer to our question. At least that is what I think, and like most men, what I think is all that matters to me…as long as my wife is not around.
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