Do get a triple crown winner today?

[Alan]

I don't thinks so but hoping for one. That mile and a half is tough on any horse, especially on American Pharoah since this will be his fourth race in 8 weeks. He ran in the Arkansas Stakes three weeks before the derby...... The Arkansas, the Derby, the Preakness and the 1 and 1/2 mile Belmont in a period of 8 weeks. Me thinks he runs out of gas.

 

[B&M Farms]

The first in 37 years would be exciting though. Got to be a tough horse to do that one.

 

[Katpau]

I can never understand why it is asking too much for a properly conditioned horse to run a mile and a half ever two weeks. I rode endurance in my youth. I did a 50 miler every other week with some 100 milers mixed in. These races usually ended in a sprint in the last 1 to 2 miles as the leaders contended to be first. Of course those horses were over 5 years old and were conditioned gradually over time. My training program began at 3 on a horse who was trail ridden regularly from 2 years old. I gradually increase speed and distance until we were going a minimum of 6 to 10 miles per day in an hour. We were able to compete when the horse was 4 in 25 mile competitive events. They were not races, but needed to be finished in 3 1/2 to 4 hours. The horse was judged on conditioning, using heart rate, respiration, soundness and attitude to determine the winner. Perhaps racing as a three year old does not leave enough time to condition and strengthen the bones and tendons? Unfortunately for the horse, muscles develop quicker than their supporting structure, but you would still think a three year old could handle 1 1/2 miles at a dead run, every few weeks.

 

[Alan]

Not quite that simple, these horses are world class athletes, going against the best in the world in that 3 yr old crop. They are running with a resulting time that would blow all the horses off most of the tracks around the world. I agree you can take a $1500 claimed and whip him/her around the track for a mile and a half and do it again in two weeks if necessary........ Just hope he doesn't break down, you're out $1500. I think it's much the same as a distance runner pushing their limits in a race and trying to be ready to do it again in two weeks. American Pharoah has/will run four top level races in 8 weeks.

For the record a three year old horse is not physically mature enough to take that kind of beating, but he will be at stud no matter the outcome.

Personal note, I bet you have a fantastic day brewing in Roseburg, I love that area.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

American Pharaoh is a lock. Book it.

 

[dun]

Another thing that goes aginst the triple crown being won is invariably there will be horses that are maybe not quite as good but being rested gives them a bit of an edge. I don;t recall Affirmed but Secretariat was a super horse, much better tired then most of his age class was when rested.

 

[Alan]

After 37 years there is finally a triple crown winner! Now back on the lawn mower and I'll watch the rest of the DVR later tonight.

 

[HDRider]

Quite a horse..

 

[wbvs58]

Congratulations, super effort, you will have to send him over to have a crack at our Melbourne in November. Lots of international horses come now but they usually need to have a bit of form over 2 miles to make it worthwhile. The long straight at Flemington really sorts out the true 2 milers over the last 200m.

Ken

 

[Katpau]

I doubt he will run again, because he is worth more at stud than he could ever win on the track. Not unless the owner is more into competition than he is into money. That may be too, so I guess you never know. I doubt any race horse ever recoups his investment through racing. I expect there was more than the 1.5 million winnings, spent getting American Pharoah to that point.

Congratulations to American Pharoah, and special congratulations to the trainer who made sure he was exercised and conditioned properly. It takes a really good horse, but even the best won't hold up without the proper preparation. He has only run 8 races and did not run at all until late in the Fall when he was two. His first two races were less than a mile. He won one and lost one. He did his first 1 1/16 mile race that fall and won. He rested for 6 months and then ran races March 14th and April 11th. That second one was only three weeks before the Kentucky Derby. I admire the trainer who got him ready so that his body could withstand the schedule he has kept up since March. That did not happen without a lot of conditioning. I would bet this horse did not spend most of his day standing in a stall waiting for a sprint around the track during his 6 months off.

 

[CaddoFarms]

It was an awesome moment im so happy to have seen it. Ive loved the races since i was too young to be there but daddy took me much to moms dismay. Just saw pharohs owner live talking about possibly running him again in the Haskells on aug 2 and he didnt rule out the breeders cup as well...... I would love to see him run again. And no they dont seem to have longevity anymore. In the early and mid 1900s it was common for them to run 50-70 races, now 20 is alot.