A traditional falloff for US horses has not happened with American Pharoah. The majestic beast was supposed to fall by the Belmont but he overcame all odds. Still holding fine form, the Breeders was where he was supposed to be left gasping for air. Join us at APEX Horse Betting as we go over the finishing touches of the finest year a horse has every had.
Bob Baffert’s Grand Slam
AP was not only winning but decimating the star studded fields at every turn. The Breeder’s Cup is held on an equal level with the three legs of the Triple Crown. Here he did not disappoint either. Opening bell started and his ears perked and went to work. He stormed to the lead and merrily skipped around Keeneland. Even though Beholder and the Smooth Roller could not be here, this did not diminish the strength of the field. Effinex was not in sniffing distance as nearly seven lengths separated them. Honor Code placed third and was double digits back. A wonderful exclamation point on a top tier career.
Oh So Heavy RPR
The dominant horses have to carry a handicap in some races to allow the field to remain competitve. A RPR rating has been in effect since 1988. The higher the value equates to the better a horse. Put this in historical perspective with Ghostzapper (135) and Cigar (135) holding the top spot in all of racing history as three year olds. A 138 for a three year old is unheard of until American Pharoah. Fully developed four year olds can hardly compare to him as well. Frankel (143) and Dubai Millennium (139) got their higher numbers when they finally hit full maturity at the age of four.
So now he will go into next year with only this mark left to chase. He has the Grand Slam of racing and little else to prove. Hopefully our sport will be able to build upon the foundation that American Pharaoh has lain in 2015.
