America: American Pharoah vince anche le Preakness Stakes, stavolta vincendo di 7 e convincendo sotto il diluvio e nel fango. Il sogno continua.. appuntamento con le Belmont Stakes il 6 Giugno

Stavolta si, abbiamo visto il vero American Pharoah (Pioneerof The Nile). Sotto una pioggia torrenziale, di fronte comunque a 131,660 persone (record) e su un terreno “sloppy”, fangoso, il vincitore del Kentucky Derby ha vinto anche la 140^ edizione delle Xpressbet.com Preakness Stakes da $1,5 milione sui 1900 metri, collezionato la seconda gemma della triplice corona senza mai soffrire nessun avversario, al contrario di quanto successe a Churchill Downs dove le aspettative erano massime, soddisfatte si ma dopo una corsa dispendiosa. Qui invece no, come se gli avessero steso il tappeto rosso. A Pimlico il portacolori di Ahmed Zayat, che aveva l’1 di steccato non ha fatto prigionieri e fatto partenza con Victor Espinoza ha preso subito la prima posizione, rimanendo per metà giro in gas, riprendendo in mano e poi ripartendo di slancio all’inizio dell’ultima curva. I parziali sono stati con il primo quarto in 22,90s, poi 46,49s, i 1200 in 1m 11,42s ed il miglio passato in 1m 37,74s. E gli altri? I diretti avversari Dortmund (Big Brown) e Firing Line (Line Of David) sono rimasti fin troppo tranquilli nelle retrovie e quando hanno tentato il recupero si sono scontrati con gli scarichi del cavallo di Bob Baffert che nel frattempo, senza prendere nemmeno una frustata al contrario del Kentucky Derby dove ne prese una cosa come 30, è filato liscio sul traguardo accumulando 7 lunghezze di margine finendo in 1m 58.46s (lentissimo, complice anche il terreno) nei confronti di Tale Of Verve (Tale Of Ekati) e Divining Rod (Tapit) con al quarto Dortmund e al settimo Firing Line il quale, forse, nel Derby ha fatto la corsa della vita. IL VIDEO DELLE PREAKNESS STAKES QUI.

American Pharoah è invece forse un cavallo epocale, uscito indenne dal Derby e dalle marianne delle Preakness, può continuare a coltivare un sogno che si chiama Triple Crown, una maledizione che dura da troppi anni. L’ultimo a vincerla, ricordiamo, è stato Affirmed nel 1978. Tanti dopo di lui ci hanno provato ma hanno vinto solo le prime due prove, fallendo la terza e l’ultimo a far svanire il sogno è stato California Chrome lo scorso anno. American Pharoah, in ordine, è il 14° cavallo che dopo Affirmed ha vinto le due prove prima di concentrarsi sulla terza. Solo Bob Baffert ne ha sellati 4, che poi hanno però mancato la triplice: Dei suoi ricordiamo Silver Charm (secondo di Touch Gold nel 1997), Real Quiet (secondo, battuto di naso daVictory Gallop nel 1998), War Emblem (partito male, finito 8°). Ne parleremo in modo diffuso nei prossimi giorni. L’appuntamento con la storia ora è per il 6 Giugno a Belmont Park dove American dovrà battere la sorte, la storia, la fatica e la distanza di una corsa che arriva fino ai 2400 metri ed al termine di un tour de force con il Kentucky Derby corso ad un mese di distanza.

Il sogno continua. IL RISULTATO COMPLETO QUI.

PUBBLICATO DA GABRIELE CANDI A DOMENICA, MAGGIO 17, 2015

American Pharoah Romps in Preakness Stakes

By Tom LaMarra,

Zayat Stable’s American Pharoah gave himself a shot at the Triple Crown after a commanding victory in the $1.5 millionXpressbet.com Preakness Stakes (gr. I)May 16 before a record crowd of 131,680 at Pimlico Race Course (VIDEO).

Ridden by Victor Espinoza for trainer Bob Baffert, American Pharoah set fast fractions after taking control from post 1 and pulled away from his foes in the lane. The tempo slowed throughout because of the early pace, however, and the son of Pioneerof the Nile finished the 1 3/16 miles in 1:58.45 on a track made sloppy by a downpour that began with 10 minutes to post.

Longshot Tale of Verve rallied for second, seven lengths behind the winner, followed by Divining Rod in third and Dortmund in fourth.

American Pharoah was bred by his owner in Kentucky.

“He’s just an incredible horse,” Baffert said immediately after the race. “What he does is amazing. Great horses do great things, and I think he showed that today.”

As for the June 6 Belmont Stakes (gr. I), final leg of the Triple Crown, Baffert said he needed time to let the Preakness win, which followed American Pharoah’s victory in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), sink in.

“I don’t even want to think about the (Triple Crown) right now,” Baffert said. “I want to enjoy this. It’s tough (at Belmont Park). I’ve been there and I don’t want to think about it for another couple of weeks.

“We’ll just see how the horse comes back (after the Preakness). I want to enjoy this, and I want to thank everyone for being so nice to us. It has been a great ride so far.”

Owner Ahmed Zayat was more willing to discuss the Triple Crown possibility.

“We could be talking about history,” Zayat said. “How could I be happier than that?”

It was the sixth Preakness victory for Baffert, and he will get his fourth shot at a Triple Crown. Silver Charm, Real Quiet, and War Emblem all failed to win the Belmont Stakes after taking the first two legs.

Espinoza will get his third chance at the Crown. He rode War Emblem for Baffert, and last year won the first two legs with eventual Horse of the Year California Chrome.

“I hope the third one is the charm,” Espinoza said.

The forecast of late afternoon thunderstorms proved accurate as a line of storms headed toward Maryland earlier in the afternoon. The wind picked up as the horses were being saddled on the turf course and in the indoor paddock, and as they headed to the track, heavy rain began to fall.

The dirt surface, which had been sealed about an hour prior to the race, was quickly downgraded to sloppy. And it played to the liking of American Pharoah, who won the Rebel Stakes (gr. II) on a sloppy track at Oaklawn Park in March.

Espinoza clearly wanted the lead as stablemate Dortmund and Mr. Z also fired from the gate from posts 2 and 3, respectively. By the time the opening quarter-mile was accomplished in :22.90, American Pharoah was on a loose lead, tracked by Mr. Z and Dortmund.

“He broke a tiny bit slow, so I had to push him to go to the front,” Espinoza said. “Once he got to the lead he was very comfortable. I wasn’t going to try to get the lead, but after the rain I changed my mind.”

The leader clicked off a half-mile in :46.49 and six furlongs in 1:11.42 with Mr. Z and Dortmund several lengths behind. Divining Rod rode the rail and slipped through to appear a threat at the leader after the one mile went in a much slower 1:37.74.

American Pharoah, however, still had something left. Divining Rod flattened out not long after Mr. Z and Dortmund dropped out of contention. That left late-running Tale of Verve as the only horse gaining ground, but American Pharoah was long gone.

The final time of 1:58.46 was the slowest for the Preakness since 1956, when Fabius was the winner over Needles and No Regrets on a fast track in 1:58 2/5.

American Pharoah returned $3.80, $3.40, and $2.80 across the board. Tale of Verve paid $19 and $8.80, while Divining Rod was worth $5.20 to show.

Firing Line, the second choice at 3-1 after his excellent second-place finish in the Kentucky Derby, never got closer than fifth and finished seventh, ahead of last-place finisher Bodhisattva. The official chart said Firing Line stumbled and splayed his front legs leaving the gate.

“His second jump out, he stumbled badly,” trainer Simon Callaghan said. “That took his momentum, and he never really got hold of the track. Nothing went right with all that rain coming. I don’t know (about running him in the Belmont Stakes).”

Trainer Dallas Stewart said Tale of Verve, who broke his maiden in his previous start at the Preakness distance in his sixth attempt, is headed to the Belmont Stakes after his second-place finish.

“What a horse,” Stewart said. “I had no idea where he was in the race. He’s a tremendous horse and he’s getting better all the time. Congratulations to the winner. We’ll see him at Belmont. I think this validated what he is. He’s an improving horse.”

Trainer Arnaud Delacour said he was pleased with the effort of Divining Rod, winner of the grade III Coolmore Lexington Stakes (gr. III) in his previous start.

“We are very happy with being third in a grade I stakes,” he said. “He was right there with a great trip, and thanks to (jockey Javier Castellano) for that because he gave him a great ride.”

Dortmund, also trained by Baffert, couldn’t muster a stretch kick despite having a good position and ended up seven lengths behind Divining Rod at the finish. Jockey Martin Garcia said the Big Brown colt didn’t care for the sloppy track and didn’t break well from the gate.

Mr. Z, purchased by Calumet Farm from Zayat Stables three days before the Preakness, finished fifth, a length ahead of Danzig Moon. D. Wayne Lukas, trainer of Mr. Z, said he believes the “adverse conditions likely affected seven of the eight horses.”

Mark Casse, who trains Danzig Moon, said the Malibu Moon colt didn’t relish the trip.

“It was pretty bad,” Casse said. “He hasn’t stopped coughing since he came back after the race. That happens when they eat all that stuff. You work and work and work to get them ready, and you just want to have a shot at a fair race. If they beat you, they beat you.”

Trainer Jose Corrales offered no excuses for Federico Tesio Stakes winner Bodhisattva.

“He didn’t try,” Corrales said. “One morning in training, when he was behind other horses in the rain, he didn’t try. It was the same thing today. It wasn’t the race we were expecting, but life goes on.”