American Pharoah
Page 26
AMERICAN PHAROAH opened clear, tucked in, responded gallantly, widened EFFINEX shadowed leader 3w, moved in kind, unable to make headway HONOR CODE settled, tail of field, roused 7/16, sweeping move 5w, willingly KEEN ICE rated back, shifted out, under pressure, angled in, belatedly TONALIST rank to place inside, moved jointly, bumped, hit rail, flattened HARD ACES allowed to settle, 4w, came under a ride, lacked a response FROSTED settled in hand, bid between horses, bumped 5/16, faltered GLENEAGLES (IRE) off slow, angled in, saved ground, no factor
Owners: (4) Zayat Stables, LLC; (6) Tri-Bone Stables; (9) Lane"s End Racing, Dell Ridge Farm LLC and Teresa Viola Racing; (2) Donegal Racing; (1) Robert S. Evans; (8) Hronis Racing LLC; (3) Godolphin Racing LLC; (5) Tabor, Michael B., Magnier, Mrs. John, and Smith, Derrick
Trainers: (4) Bob Baffert; (6) James Jerkens; (9) Claude McGaughey III; (2) Dale Romans; (1) Christophe Clement; (8) John Sadler; (3) Kiaran McLaughlin; (5) Aidan O’Brien
Late Scratches: Beholder; Smooth Roller
Copyright 2015 Equibase Company LLC. All Right Reserved.
APPENDIX F
American Pharoah’s Lifetime Past Performances
Lifetime Past Performance for American Pharoah
Copyright © 2015 The Jockey Club Information Systems, Inc.
Career Statistics
Starts: 11
Firsts: 9
Seconds: 1
Thirds: 0
Earnings: $8,650,300
Earnings Per Start: $786,391
APPENDIX G
American Pharoah’s Lifetime Workouts
GLOSSARY OF HORSE RACING TERMS
apprentice Rider who has not ridden a certain number of winners within a specified period of time. Also known as a “bug,” from the asterisk used to denote the weight allowance such riders receive.
apprentice allowance Weight concession given to an apprentice rider: usually ten pounds until the fifth winner, seven pounds until the thirty-fifth winner and five pounds for one calendar year from the thirty-fifth winner. More rarely, a three-pound allowance is allowed to a rider under contract to a specific stable/owner for two years from his/her first win. This rule varies from state to state. Apprentices do not receive an allowance when riding in a stakes race. All jockeys going from track to track must have a receipt from the clerk of scales from their track verifying the jockeys’ most recent total number of wins. Also known as a “bug,” from the asterisk used to denote the weight allowance.
apron The (usually) paved area between the grandstand and the racing surface.
bay A horse color that varies from a yellow-tan to a bright auburn. The mane, tail, and lower portion of the legs are always black, except where white markings are present.
bit A stainless steel, rubber, or aluminum bar, attached to the bridle, which fits in the horse’s mouth and is one of the means by which a jockey exerts guidance and control. The most common racing bit is the D-bit, named because the rings extending from the bar are shaped like the letter D. Most racing bits are “snaffled (snaffle bit),” which means the metal bar is made up of two pieces, connected in the middle, which leaves it free to swivel. Other bits may be used to correct specific problems, such as bearing in or out.
blaze A generic term describing a large, white vertical marking on a horse’s face. The Jockey Club doesn’t use blaze, preferring more descriptive words. Also known as snip; star; strip.
blinkers A cup-shaped device to limit a horse’s vision to prevent him from swerving from objects or other horses on either side of it. Blinker cups come in a variety of sizes and shapes to allow as little or as much vision as the trainer feels is necessary.
breeze (breezing) Working a horse at a moderate speed.
claiming race A race in which each horse entered is eligible to be purchased at a set price. Claims must be made before the race and only by licensed owners or their agents who have a horse registered to race at that meeting or who have received a claim certificate from the stewards.
classic (1) A race of traditional importance. (2) Used to describe a distance. A race at the American classic distance, which is currently one and a quarter miles. The European classic distance is one and a half miles.
conformation The physical makeup of and bodily proportions of a horse; how it is put together.
cover A single breeding of a stallion to a mare. For example, “He covered seventy mares.”
dam The female parent of a foal.
dam’s sire (broodmare sire) The sire of a broodmare. Used in reference to the maternal grandsire of a foal.
dorsal displacement of the soft palate A condition in which the soft palate, located on the floor of the airway near the larynx, moves up into the airway. A minor displacement causes a gurgling sound during exercise, while in more serious cases the palate can block the airway. This is sometimes known as “choking down,” but the tongue does not actually block the airway. The base of the tongue is connected to the larynx, of which the epiglottis is a part. When the epiglottis is retracted, the soft palate can move up into the airway (dorsal displacement). This condition can sometimes be managed with equipment such as a figure-eight noseband or a tongue tie. In more extreme cases, surgery might be required, most commonly a “myectomy.”
Eclipse Award Thoroughbred racing’s year-end awards, honoring the top horses in eleven separate categories; the leading owner, trainer, jockey, apprentice jockey, and breeder, as well as members of the media who have demonstrated excellence in their coverage of the sport. Their namesake is Eclipse, the great eighteenth-century racehorse and sire who was undefeated in eighteen career starts and sired the winners of 344 races. Any Eclipse Award winner is referred to as a “champion.”
fetlock (joint) Joint located between the cannon bone and the long pastern bone, also referred to as the “ankle.”
graded race Established in 1973 to classify select stakes races in North America, at the request of European racing authorities, who had set up group races two years earlier. Always denoted with Roman numerals I, II, or III. Capitalized when used in race title (the Grade I Kentucky Derby). See group race.
group race Established in 1971 by racing organizations in Britain, France, Germany, and Italy to classify select stakes races outside North America. Collectively called “pattern races.” Equivalent to North American graded races. Always denoted with Arabic numerals 1, 2, or 3. Capitalized when used in race title (the Group 1 Epsom Derby). See graded race.
handily (1) Working in the morning with maximum effort. (2) A horse racing well within itself, with little exertion from the jockey.
homebred A horse bred by its owner.
maiden race A race for horses that have not won a race.
quarter horse The American Quarter Horse is an American breed of horse that excels at sprinting short distances. Its name came from its ability to outdistance other horse breeds in races of a quarter mile or less.
shadow roll A (usually sheepskin) roll that is secured over the bridge of a horse’s nose to keep it from seeing shadows on the track and shying away from or jumping them.
sire (1) The male parent. (2) To beget foals.
socks Solid white markings extending from the top of the hoofs to the ankles.
stakes A race for which the owner usually must pay a fee to run a horse. The fees can be for nominating, maintaining eligibility, entering, and starting, to which the track adds more money to make up the total purse. Some stakes races are by invitation and require no payment or fee.
stallion A male horse used for breeding.
stallion season The right to breed one mare to a particular stallion during one breeding season.
stallion share A lifetime breeding right to a stallion; one mare per season per share.
stick A jockey’s whip.
stockings Solid white markings extending from the tops of the hoofs to the knees or hocks.
teaser A male horse used at breeding farms to determine whether a mare is ready to receive a stallion.
toe-in A conformation fl
aw in which the front of the foot faces in and looks pigeon-toed, often causing the leg to swing outward during locomotion (“paddling”).
toe-out A conformation flaw in which the front of the foot faces out, often causing the leg to swing inward during locomotion (“winging”).
Source: Equibase Company
NOTES ON SOURCES AND SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
I have covered horse racing for nearly two decades and have spoken, interviewed, and written about Bob Baffert countless times in the New York Times as well as a previous book, The Race for the Triple Crown. He, along with Ahmed Zayat, has kept the lines of communication open throughout the years even when sometimes those conversations were difficult or contentious. I appreciate it, and thank them both.
Likewise, Victor Espinoza and his agent Brian Beach are always generous with their time and candor and insight, for which I’m grateful. Tom VanMeter, Kevin and J.B. McKathan, Jeff Seder and Patti Miller, Mark Taylor, John Hall, and Martin Garcia all provided key details of American Pharoah’s early days. A special thanks to Frances Relihan, who patiently explained to me how Thoroughbreds are cared for long before they reach the racetrack and why it is vital. Her love and passion for horses are contagious.
Gary Stevens and Jerry Bailey, both Hall of Famers, are among the most insightful observers of the sport and have always been willing to share with me. D. Wayne Lukas and Bill Mott, two more Hall of Famers, also have taught me much. Larry Collmus, Arthur Hancock, Dr. Larry Bramlage, and Cecil Seaman always tell me something I don’t know.
Likewise, projects like this do not come together without the tireless work and expertise of the marketing and publicity staffs of organizations: The Jockey Club, the Breeders’ Cup, and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association. Along with the folks at the New York Racing Association, the Stronach Group, and Churchill Downs Inc., they generate a wealth of access and information that helps people like me better tell readers how the Thoroughbred industry works and why it matters. Again, you know who you are, and I am beholden to you.
For a niche sport, horse racing has a passionate and talented group of writers and broadcasters who care deeply about it. Year after year we assemble each spring, and usually come summer we are disappointed. Not this year. There were many excellent written and broadcast pieces surrounding American Pharoah that I not only enjoyed but that tipped me to another illuminating aspect of the horse and the people around him.
The Daily Racing Form, the sport’s Bible, has assembled its fine coverage at http://www.drf.com/events/american-pharoah-coverage, and is well worth a visit. It also is worth going to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFbhU5_fVao to watch the video of American Pharoah’s workout as a two-year-old at the McKathans’ farm. While you are at YouTube, watch the video of the colt’s gallop before 15,000 people at Saratoga Race Course from the perspective of a GoPro camera attached to exercise rider George Alvarez.
Ray Paulick pushes harder for transparency in the sport and the www.PaulickReport.com is a must-read. Eric Crawford, Pat Forde, Dave Grening, Steve Haskin, Tim Layden, Tom Pedulla, and Tim Wilkin are terrific writers and excellent company to kill time with outside barns and inside press boxes.
Baffert, Bob. Baffert Dirt Road to the Derby. Lexington, Kentucky: Blood-Horse, 1999.
Crawford, Eric. American Pharoah: Snapshots from the Triple Crown. Louisville, Kentucky: WDRB News, Amazon Digital Services, 2015.
DePaolo, Joe. “Pony Smokey a Loyal American Pharoah Sidekick.” Blood-Horse, June 4, 2015.
Forde, Pat. “American Pharoah Caps Off Historic Career with Storybook Ending at Breeders’ Cup.” Yahoo Sports, October 31, 2015.
Haskin, Steve. “Kentucky Derby Recap: American Idol.” Blood-Horse, May 5, 2015.
______. “Preakness Recap: Pharoah Glow Brightens the Day.” Blood-Horse, May 18, 2015.
______. “Belmont Recap: Phait Accompli.” Blood-Horse, June 11, 2015.
Hoppert, Melissa. “Turn-Ons: Peppermints, Cool Breezes. Turnoffs: Mares Who Move Too Fast.” New York Times, June 5, 2015.
______. “Longtime Assistants Relish Ride with American Pharoah.” New York Times, June 8, 2015.
Layden, Tim. “Baffert Fortunate to Be at Another Derby Following Dubai Emergency.” Sports Illustrated, April 30, 2012.
______. “One More Time: American Pharoah Wins Preakness, Nears Triple Crown.” Sports Illustrated, May 16, 2015.
______. “American Pharoah’s Triple Crown Obliterates Years of Disappointment.” Sports Illustrated, June 7, 2015.
MacDonald, Michele. “American Pharoah: The Early Development of a Champion.” Thoroughbred Daily News, April 27, 2015.
______. “American Pharoah vs Secretariat vs Seattle Slew vs Affirmed: How They Actually Measure Up.” Thoroughbred Commentary, December 17, 2015.
Oakford, Glenye Cain. “Zayat Wears His Heart on His Sleeve.” Daily Racing Form, April 2, 2010.
Palmer, Joanne. “We’ve Got the Horse Right Here…” Jewish Standard, May 14, 2015.
Paulick, Ray. “He Lied Like Nobody’s Business: A Racing Con Man and His Trail of Deception.” ThePaulickReport.com, August 11, 2014.
Pedulla, Tom. “After Heart Attack, Baffert Plans to Keep Winning Big.” New York Times, October 31, 2012.
Serby, Steve. “American Pharoah’s Jockey’s Divine Inspiration for Triple Crown.” New York Post, June 4, 2015.
Simers, T. J. “Thoroughbred Trainer Bob Baffert Still Has Heart of a Champion.” Los Angeles Times, October 29, 2012.
Sullivan, Tim. “How Baffert Got Pharoah.” Louisville Courier-Journal, June 2, 2015.
Wilkin, Tim. “Paynter Beats Odds, Illness. Recovered from Disease That Threatened His Life, Colt Set to Run in Woodward.” Albany Times-Union, August 29, 2013.
Wincze Hughes, Alicia. “Derby Champion’s Sire Emerges as Top Stallion from Humble Beginnings.” Lexington Herald-Leader, May 9, 2015.
Witz, Billy. “Divine Intervention Is a Hope, Not a Horse, in the Belmont.” New York Times, June 6, 2015.
PHOTO CREDITS
Photo insert credits: (here) © 2015 Matt Wooley/EquiSport; (here and here) © Frances M. Relihan; (here) © Andrew Hancock/The New York Times/Redux; (here) © 2015 Matt Wooley/EquiSport; (here) © Victor J. Blue/The New York Times/Redux; (here) © Chang W. Lee/The New York Times/Redux; (here) © Sam Hodgson/The New York Times/Redux; (here) © Victor J. Blue/The New York Times/Redux; (here) © Chang W. Lee/The New York Times/Redux (here) © Nathaniel Brooks/The New York Times/Redux; (here) © Frances M. Relihan
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CONTENTS
Cover
Title Page
Welcome
Dedication
Author’s Note
1. A Brief Encounter
2. Groundhog Day
3. The “Get-Out” Horse
4. Get Him Out of Here
5. A Long Summer
6. Blinkers On; Blinkers Off
7. A Rocket Ship!
8. Two Turns?
9. Better Lucky Than Smart
10. He’s Ready
11. Barn 33
12. The First Saturday in May
13. Old Hilltop
14. The Sport Without a Star Is Not a Sport
15. Test of a Champion
16. The Victory Lap
17. The Graveyard of Champions
18. California Dreaming
19. The Last Waltz
Epilogue
Photos
Acknowledgments
Also by Joe Drape
Appendices
Appendix A: The Pedigree of American Pharoah
Appendix B: The official chart for the 2015 Kentucky Derby
Appendix C: The official chart for the 2015 Preakness Stakes
App
endix D: The official chart for the 2015 Belmont Stakes
Appendix E: The official chart for the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Classic
Appendix F: American Pharoah’s Lifetime Past Performances
Appendix G: American Pharoah’s Lifetime Workouts
Glossary of Horse Racing Terms
Notes on Sources and Selected Bibliography
Photo Credits
Newsletters
Copyright
Copyright
Copyright © 2016 by Joe Drape
Jacket design by Christopher Lin. Jacket photograph © ZUMA Press, Inc./Alamy.
Cover copyright © 2016 by Hachette Book Group, Inc.
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ISBN 978-0-316-26883-7
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