Quote:
Originally Posted by Kasept
Beyer: American Pharoah defied all obstacles
Most of his seven rivals lacked any early speed; only Materiality had ever displayed enough quickness to indicate that he might challenge the favorite. His trainer, Todd Pletcher, declared, “We’ve got to put some pressure on American Pharoah.” But Materiality couldn’t do it — he delivered a dismal performance and finished last -- and American Pharoah immediately seized the lead.
And American Pharoah’s performance in the Belmont was not of superhorse quality, no matter what millions of viewers might have thought as they watched him drawing away to win by 5 ˝ lengths. He ran 1 ˝ miles in 2:26.65 on the same card that a fair-to-middling group of older stakes horses covered the distance only .48 second slower. It was certainly a good effort: His Beyer Speed Figure of 105 was the best in the Belmont since 2007, but still a bit below the historical norm for the race.
Before making a definitive judgment about how American Pharoah stacks up against the all-time greats, racing fans should wait to see him challenge top older horses later in the year. That’s usually the acid test for a 3-year-old. Affirmed and Seattle Slew did not fully certify their greatness until their post-Triple Crown phase of their careers.
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Materiality's last race?
Sounds like Beyer would like Coach Inge at 12f's at 12/1 vs. AP at even money? I guess that's fair?