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American Pharoah earns superlatives
Under regular rider Victor Espinoza, American Pharoah equaled the third-largest margin of victory in Arkansas Derby history, and his winning time of 1:48.52 -- despite being geared down late -- was the fastest since Sir Cherokee (1:48.39) in 2003. "The way this horse runs is unbelievable," Espinoza said. "I was very confident in American Pharoah. This was the first time I rode him that he was behind another horse, but I just went by him like he was standing still. "Into the stretch, it didn't feel like I was going that fast, and I was excited. I wanted to let him run a little, but I looked back and I was so far in front, I slowed him down a little bit. He did it all on his own, basically. "Bob Baffert didn't want me to win by that many lengths, but sometimes you can't help it. I know it's only three weeks until the Kentucky Derby and you want to save as much as you can for that race. "But with a horse like him, he does things so easy, it was all I could do." Espinoza has won the Kentucky Derby twice before, with favorite California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit) in 2014 and in 2002 with the Baffert-trained War Emblem. "I'm excited," Espinoza said. "It's the first time I've gone into it in back-to-back years with horses like this. I think I'm even more excited this year. Bob and I go way back. He's always been a help to me." "I was ecstatic," Baffert said Sunday morning of American Pharoah's performance. "I liked the way he shut it down. We thought he might be able to do that, but you don't know until you actually do it in a race, because the adrenalin's going through and everything else. "He got bumped leaving there a bit, and sometimes that gets them all charged up. But he was just so professional. I couldn't have been happier the way it turned out. He got some things his own way, but it was good he showed he was not one dimensional; that's a big plus." His Santa Anita colleagues were likewise impressed. "Moved?" observed one insider, eyebrows raised. "Hell, he never even said 'giddy up.'" "Words can't describe it," Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said. Jim Cassidy added, "If there ever was a year there shouldn't be 20 horses in the Kentucky Derby, it's this year." American Pharoah's unbeaten stablemate, Dortmund (Big Brown), is scheduled to ship from Santa Anita to Louisville, Kentucky, on April 26. A travel date for the third of Baffert's Derby trio, One Lucky Dane (Lookin at Lucky), has yet to be determined. Zayat Stables also owns Mr. Z (Malibu Moon) who finished third in the Arkansas Derby, three-quarters of a length behind Far Right, and El Kabeir (Scat Daddy), third in the $1 million Wood Memorial (G1) April 4 at Aqueduct. Both Mr. Z (34) and El Kabeir (95) have sufficient points to run in the Kentucky Derby -- if more than the maximum 20 horses are entered -- but Ahmed Zayat wouldn't commit either to the 1 1.4-mile race immediately following the Arkansas Derby. Zayat said each of his potential Kentucky Derby starters has to be treated individually. There's no question Far Right is headed to the Kentucky Derby. Trainer Ron Moquett said Far Right will probably ship to Churchill Downs Tuesday and was "99 percent sure" Sunday morning that Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith would ride the ridgling back in the Kentucky Derby. Smith guided Far Right to victories in Oaklawn's first two major Kentucky Derby preps -- the $150,000 Smarty Jones S. January 19 and the $300,000 Southwest S. (G3) February 22. Far Right dropped far behind early in the Arkansas Derby before closing well out in the track to finish second. Moquett, who skipped the Rebel to train Far Right up to the Arkansas Derby, said Smith rode a smart race Saturday. "He said he was saving us some for the next one," Moquett said, referring to the Kentucky Derby. "He said it didn't matter if we were second by five or second by eight. He said he was trying to save some for the next one when things may work more in our direction." Moquett also paid tribute to the victorious American Pharoah. "Today, we saw a great race by a superhorse," Moquett said. "Mike (Smith) said that when he saw that horse kick clear he was just going to do enough to get second and he did. "We'll hope for maybe some different circumstances (in the Kentucky Derby) and just like everybody else going there we'll need some of the best luck. We certainly showed we belong." Moquett said Far Right will wear the silks of majority owner Harry Rosenblum in the Kentucky Derby after he won a coin flip Saturday night with minority owner Robert LaPenta. Rosenblum sold one-third interest in Far Right to LaPenta, a Connecticut businessman, before the Smarty Jones. Under terms of the deal, Rosenblum said Far Right would alternate silks for his races, although it was stipulated Rosenblum's green and blue silks would be worn in the Arkansas Derby. Rosenblum is a Little Rock, Arkansas, native. Rosenblum said last week a coin flip would determine whose silks Far Right would wear in the Kentucky Derby. Tim Austin, an assistant to Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, said Mr. Z is scheduled to ship Monday to Churchill Downs. The colt ran third in the Smarty Jones and Southwest before finishing last of nine in the $750,000 Louisiana Derby (G2) March 28. Mr. Z, again wearing blinkers, rebounded with a solid performance in the Arkansas Derby. "He came back great," Austin said. "He was dragging us around the test barn last night. Everything's good." The Arkansas Derby offered 100 points to the winner, 40 to second, 20 to third and 10 to fourth as a Kentucky Derby scoring race. American Pharoah (160 points) ranks fourth in the standings, with Far Right (62) No. 10. Mr. Z is No. 18. Madefromlucky (Lookin at Lucky), who finished fourth in the Arkansas Derby, is on the bubble at No. 21 (30), according to Churchill Downs. Bold Conquest (Curlin), fifth in the Arkansas Derby, ranks 24th with 17 points. The Truth Or Else (Yes It's True), seventh in the Arkansas Derby, is 25th with 11 points. Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com
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