The Biggest Takeaways from the 2015 Triple Crown Season
The 2015 Triple Crown season came to a close on Saturday in the final jewel, the Belmont Stakes, and for the first time since 1978, fans witnessed the holy grail of horse racing.
American Pharoah ended the drought and joined an elite group of fellow champions when he became racing's 12th Triple Crown winner. He was able to succeed where many great horses have fallen short and has carved a spot in history for his misspelled name.
Here is a look back at what we learned over the course of this historic and memorable Triple Crown campaign.
The Triple Crown Does Not Need to Change
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Horse racing is often caught between honoring the traditions of the past and embracing the changes needed to evolve and move forward. Last year, in a bitter tirade after his horse lost the Triple Crown, California Chrome co-owner Steven Coburn lamented to the Las Vegas Review-Journal's Ed Graney that the system was broken: "I’ll never see — and I’m 61 years old — another Triple Crown winner in my lifetime because of the way they do this.”
Luckily, he was wrong.
Coburn was, in the midst of his rantings, advocating for some big changes to the Triple Crown. He was particularly angry that a fresh horse who had not competed in the Derby or the Preakness had worn down his travel-weary colt. Additionally, with each year that has gone by without a Triple Crown, the question is always raised whether or not the five-week window is too short for the modern Thoroughbred.
Many major players in the industry have since spoken out that the Triple Crown should remain exactly as it is. Among them was Bob Baffert, who, until Saturday, had been on the losing end of several heartbreaking defeats in the Belmont Stakes. As he told William C. Rhoden of the New York Times, “Once you change tradition, it ruins it. It wouldn’t mean anything. It would be the Kentucky Derby, and that would be it.”
This Is a Tremendous Group of 3-Year-Olds
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While American Pharoah is clearly at the top of his class, the sophomore class of 2015 seems to be one that is loaded top to bottom with talent. American Pharoah blew his opponents away in the Preakness and Belmont, but he was only one length ahead of Firing Line and stablemate Dortmund in the Kentucky Derby.
Texas Red, the Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner, is ready to launch his comeback to the races as well. Add in Khozan, the colt with mega-hype from the spring, and bring back a fresh Firing Line, Dortmund and Carpe Diem for the summer, and racing fans could be in for a real treat.
Only time will tell the true quality of the horses American Pharoah has been facing, but the view right now is promising.
Victor Espinoza Is a Star
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Victor Espinoza was no stranger to the media circus surrounding a Triple Crown attempt. The jockey had been there twice before—with War Emblem in 2002 and California Chrome in 2014. The difference this year was that he seemed to embrace the media as much as the media embraced him.
Horse racing has often struggled to transcend into the mainstream. Espinoza, throughout the weeks leading up to the Triple Crown, was able to put a likable face on an industry that audiences have at times had difficulty relating to. The affable jockey has made appearances during the weeks of the Triple Crown on major networks such as CNN and ESPN.
And then, there was a comical tweet from trainer Mark Hennig, which summed up the major attention that horse racing had gotten this week. Espinoza made headlines with a scandalous tabloid which, while silly, shows that the athlete is now getting the same front-page attention usually reserved for the stars of more prominent sports.
I guess horse racing has made it..... pic.twitter.com/RtvF6DRN87
— Mark Hennig (@Hennigracing) June 6, 2015
Not to overshadow his riding accomplishments with frivolous headlines. Neither War Emblem's nor California Chrome's Triple Crown defeats were the jockey's fault, and he rode American Pharoah to perfection in all three races this year.
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Horse Racing Is Not Dead
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There are folks who argue that horse racing is a dying sport. The record-breaking crowds that piled into Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby or stormed Pimlico for the Preakness Stakes would have to disagree.
The Kentucky Derby drew a record crowd of 170,513. The Preakness attracted an unprecedented 131,680. A decision was made by the New York Racing Association to cap the attendance at the Belmont Stakes to only 90,000, but had that not been the case, a record would have surely fallen there, too.
The excitement at Belmont Park was palpable as the horses loaded into the starting gate. As American Pharoah began to launch his winning bid, the entire structure of Belmont Park's grandstand was literally vibrating with the cheers of fans.
This sport is not dead. Not by a long shot.
American Pharoah Is the Most Valuable Horse in the World
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Prior to the Belmont Stakes, the breeding rights to American Pharoah had already been sold to international breeding juggernaut Coolmore Ashford for an undisclosed sum, though offers were reportedly, according to ESPN, in the $20 million range. With a Triple Crown now in the books, his value has soared well beyond that.
American Pharoah, while he may share bloodlines with other horses in the breeding market, now has one unique, defining quality that stands him above any other stallion—he has won the Triple Crown. The biggest question now remains—will he race the remainder of the year?
Owner Ahmed Zayat discussed his plans for the colt with the Associated Press (h/t USA Today) back in May, and while he seemed optimistic about the remainder of the year, a four-year-old campaign appears unlikely.
"I will make all of the racing decisions. If he runs in the Belmont, and God willing wins, and we're still fortunate, he will continue to race. This is not an issue whatsoever. It's unlikely he would race again (after this year). The values are too insane. It's just not economically feasible to continue.
"
The Triple Crown Is Not Impossible
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With each passing year and each heartbreaking defeat, the hopes of a new Triple Crown winner seemed less and less likely. The disappointment was becoming as much of a part of the Triple Crown as "My Old Kentucky Home" at the Derby.
This year, that changed. American Pharoah was the only horse in the Belmont Stakes to have competed in both prior legs of the Triple Crown, and rather than wilt under the demanding schedule or capsize under the pressure, he thrived and earned a spot among horse racing's immortal. He was able to show that winning the Triple Crown is a real possibility and has set a new bar for trainers to chase each year.
The biggest lesson to be learned from this year's Triple Crown is that while, yes, winning all three races in a short period of time is hard, it is supposed to be hard. That is what separates the great horses from the legendary horses. American Pharoah is now a legend.
Now, let's just hope we don't have to wait another 37 years for another one.
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