American Pharoah points to Breeders' Cup Classic
 

American Pharoah points to Breeders' Cup Classic
By Jay Privman

American Pharoah will remain in training and target the Breeders' Cup Classic on Oct. 31 at Keeneland.

DEL MAR, Calif. – With the belief that American Pharoah “deserves the chance to be in the sport’s premier year-end event,” his owner and breeder, Ahmed Zayat, confirmed Thursday that American Pharoah would remain in training and point to the Breeders’ Cup Classic, mirroring the comments trainer Bob Baffert made 48 hours earlier.

While Baffert came around sooner that Zayat, the final call was, ultimately, up to Zayat, who in the immediate aftermath of American Pharoah’s loss in the Travers Stakes last Saturday at Saratoga said he was leaning “60-40” toward retirement.

Zayat on Thursday said he had lengthy discussions with Baffert, his son Justin Zayat – who manages his racing stable – assistant trainer Jim Barnes, and jockey Victor Espinoza over the past several days, most notably a four-hour powwow with Baffert on Tuesday afternoon.

“I have discussed all aspects of American Pharoah’s race last Saturday in the Travers – and his condition since the race – with our whole team and have decided American Pharoah deserves another chance, so we are pointing to the Breeders’ Cup Classic,” Zayat said Thursday morning.

“I am very confident in my decision. Not a moment has gone by since the race on Saturday when I have not thought about this decision. My initial concern right after the race was about American Pharoah’s condition, because he did not run his ‘A’ race. He has come out of the race in great shape. And after examining all the evidence and talking it over with our team – Bob Baffert, my son Justin, Jimmy Barnes, and Victor Espinoza – I believe there were a combination of factors that prevented American Pharoah from running his absolute best on Saturday. I have every confidence that he can run to his best again, and he deserves the chance to do so.

“I am very confident that this is the right decision for American Pharoah. He loves to race. He has provided my family, racing fans, and general sports fans with great thrills this year. He won the Triple Crown earlier this year, and he deserves the chance to be in the sport’s premier year-end event.”

The Breeders’ Cup Classic will be run Oct. 31 at Keeneland. That will be American Pharoah’s final race before he goes to stud at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud in Kentucky.

American Pharoah is currently at Del Mar, where he has been based all summer for training before and after starts in the Haskell at Monmouth and the Travers. He is scheduled to go to Santa Anita next Tuesday, the day after Del Mar’s meeting ends.

However, Zayat said he had discussed with Baffert the possibility of sending American Pharoah to Churchill Downs in the next fortnight to do his training there in advance of the Breeders’ Cup. While that is not a finalized plan, it is definitely under serious consideration.

American Pharoah was based at Churchill Downs following his win in the Arkansas Derby in April and trained there for nearly two months in advance of his wins in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes, which made him the sport’s 12th Triple Crown winner.

Oh to be a fly on the wall.... :D

Seriously 'tho, glad to hear they made the right decision.

Beholder will destroy him in The Classic, I would retire him now, before he has another loss on his record

It would be ironic if you ended up alive to Beholder in the pick 6 and American Pharoah dusted her, which he will

LOL..............American Phraud will not get close enough to smell Beholder's a..

i'm hoping this will be their course of action

Oh Plllleeeeaaseee
 

This was the non-news event of the day. Were they really not going to go to the B.C. with the best horse in the country?

please....

I hope all of you think he is done. Not me. That horse ran his eyeballs out and if he didn't have to put 10,000 miles flying around he would have dusted them.

Horrible decision not to drive up the G.S.parkway to Saratoga after the Haskell. He could have been under one of those old shady trees eating oats and apples for 3 weeks instead of getting bonus miles.

I'll take him any day.

:tro:

I don't think AP is "done". It's just that he simply hasn't shown he is anything but a very good horse. Maybe as good as Smarty Jones, for example. (Although I would argue that Smarty's loss in the Belmont was a vastly more impressive performance than AP's loss in the Travers.)

Those so eager to bet him in the BCC seem to forget that he will again have to fly across country. And face a full field, making the dream trip much less likely. I'm confident AP will be overbet, so I'm looking forward to the BCC even more than usual.

I just hope AP's connections don't find a reason to bail at this point. If it took 4 hours to decide his future, it probably wouldn't take much to flip the switch.

Seems like a reasonable chance the colt ships weeks in advance and trains at CD. Will be over bet for sure. If they rate him off speed and make a move around turn he will have a very good chance to win. I dont think he can wire them with a HC in field

Is he definite for the Classic? I read the plan was the Kelso next, not the JCGC.

Get him to Kentucky early and train him up to the Classic. The smartest thing to do for the horse.

he won the triple crown you %^&**((($ . hasn't happened since 78. He is a superstar

Don't get bent out of shape. I think he is just trying to validate his bad opinion of AP from before the triple crown started. Much like others. Like those that made the line 0.5 ( or was is 1.5? ) on the amount of races AP would run in 2015. Which is now 7 and counting

Excellent post and I completely agree.

LOL................yes he won The TC, a very good horse, but NOT great, how many track records has he matched or broken???? NONE, like I said a very good but NOT great horse

Track records, whoop doops . . . fact is he puts horses away gliding over the dirt and wins under wraps. Why push the horse any faster if he's got it in hand down the lane. Ya ever heard of "save some for the next race", ? You take speed and records and Ill take 8 wins out of 10 starts with 7 GI's and 1 GII and the Triple Crown any day over track records and add in $6 mil +/- for fun. Your "just a very good horse" is laughable!

I have one last thing to add to the detractors of the Greatness of American Pharoah. Haskin's may have put a Pulitzer Prize signature on it. Read this if you haven't already and then . . . I rest my case on Pharoah's greatness.

http://cs.bloodhorse.com/blogs/horse...henomenon.aspx

Way to go Steve!!! Outstanding. And for those of you that don't get it, I feel sorry for you . . . because I would be futile to attempt to explain it to you.

Maybe he should beat older horses before we crown him.....

should be exciting..will see how good beholder travels..im rooting for a ph..hes no fraud.with the timeoff he should run well.