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Espinoza's schedule remains packed; McAnally reflects on past TC winners
The bay sophomore's connections are passing on the love in other ways, too. Bob and Jill Baffert, along with Espinoza, have announced they will be donating generous sums following their Triple Crown triumph to several different charities. The Bafferts will be donating $50,000 each to the following charities: The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA), the California Retirement Aftercare Account (CARMA), the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF), and Old Friends Farm in Kentucky. Espinoza, who has actively supported City of Hope for several years, will donate his entire Belmont Stakes purse earnings, $80,000, to the nationally renowned cancer research and treatment facility which is located in Duarte, California. The goodwill was spread across social media on Saturday as the Triple Crown and American Pharoah were the number three most searched topics on Google -- worldwide. The hashtag #American Pharoah was used 46,800 times immediately following the race, which resulted in it becoming a nationally trending topic by the end of the day. The Triple Crown went mainstream on Friday when Mark Levin, nationally syndicated radio talk show host and best-selling author, mentioned it and American Pharoah's pursuit of same on his three-hour show that can be heard in the Los Angeles area on 870 AM, The Patriot. "I'm rooting for American Pharoah," said Levin, adding that "Secretariat was my favorite horse." On the CBS Sports website Saturday morning, it was the top headline: "Belmont: Pharoah runs for TC, 6:50 ET post."
"I saw Citation at Garden State Park in 1948," said McAnally, who trained many champions, the most celebrated being two-time Horse of the Year John Henry. "I was a groom back then and everyone was talking about Citation. I went to the head of the stretch one day and saw this horse passing the finish line while the others were turning for home. Citation was one of the greatest horses who ever lived. "But I've always thought American Pharoah could win the Triple Crown, although after he won the (Kentucky) Derby (by only a length, his shortest margin of victory), I thought they might have a chance to beat him. "But after winning the Preakness (G1) on an off track, which he loves, I was more certain. In the Belmont, there wasn't much competition for him. "It will be interesting to see what he can do after this, if he runs in the Haskell (G1) or the Travers (G1) and then the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1)." That said, American Pharoah has little left to prove on the race track. A deal for his breeding rights has already been finalized, with his retirement planned at the end of this year, and something unforeseen would have to happen for him not to be named Horse of the Year. The pity is that racing will not see his rhythmic and effortless stride again after 2015. "They couldn't insure a horse for as much money as American Pharoah is worth now," McAnally admitted. "They'd need 10 insurance companies to cover the premium. That's why we don't see those champions too long nowadays. "We saw John Henry race until he was nine because he was a gelding, and you see some others, and it's because they aren't a stallion. "That's the reason they retire full horses like American Pharoah. They can't insure them for that amount of money. But yesterday was great for the game. Racing needs a champion." Kent Desormeaux was right in the thick of the action in Saturday's Belmont. Winner of the 2009 "Test of the Champion" on Summer Bird, the Hall of Fame jockey rode 17-1 shot Keen Ice (Curlin) to a third-place finish, 7 1/2 lengths behind American Pharoah. "It was definitely historic, it was definitely an emotional event, and I think you could feel the energy," said Desormeaux, bright and bushy-tailed back at Santa Anita on a picture-perfect Sunday morning. "I know I felt the energy around the eighth-pole when the crowd knew Pharoah was going to get there. "There was a dramatic roar. When we got to about the eighth-pole and we were approaching the wire, the crowd went bananas. On the Richter Scale, it went from a seven to an 11. They went crazy." Added Espinoza's agent, Beach, who remains on the scene in New York, "When the horses turned for home, the whole grandstand started to shake. It felt like an earthquake. The roar just got louder and louder. I never experienced anything like it." Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com
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