Jockey Victor Espinoza waves to the cheering crowd as American Pharoah heads to the track to run in the Haskell Invitational Aug. 2. The Triple Crown winner made it look easy as he won the race, much to the delight of the record-setting crowd of more than 60,000 fans. SCOTT FRIEDMAN Ahmed Zayat, owner of sport’s newest superstar, American Pharoah, didn’t have to worry about anyone leaving Monmouth Park disappointed.
The owner of the Triple Crown champion said he was more nervous before the start of the $1.75 million Haskell Invitational Aug. 3 than he was before the start of the Belmont Stakes, where his 3-year-old thoroughbred was racing for history by trying to become the sport’s first Triple Crown winner in 37 years.
“I wanted this to be a special day for the fans,” Zayat said. “I didn’t want to disappoint them.”
With another majestic display of his greatness, American Pharoah destroyed the Haskell field, adding to his growing legacy as an all-time great.
“He showed the world what a phenomenal horse he is,” Zayat said after American Pharoah became the first horse to win the Triple Crown and the Haskell.
Jockey Victor Espinoza had the best seat in the house and described his trip with the superstar as a joy ride.
“He was having fun. I was having fun. We were both having fun,” Espinoza said.
Out of the gate, American Pharoah, who drew post position four, followed Competitive Edge (Mike Smith), who went straight to the front from post position two.
Espinoza was content to stay a length behind the leader through three-quarters of a mile. Then American Pharoah showed his class and turned it on. He quickly swept away from the field on the far turn and, when he headed home, he left the field in his wake — so much that Espinoza was able to stand up and take it all in, making the final two-and-a-quarter-length win over Keen Ice (Kent Desormeaux) seem closer than the race actually was.
American Pharoah’s winning time of 1:47.95 for the 1 1/8-mile despite easing up at the end was just off the stakes record of 1:47, held by Majestic Light and Bet Twice.
For winning trainer Bob Baffert, it was another day at the office at one of his favorite tracks. He extended his record Haskell wins to eight, including five of the last six.
“They’re all special,” he said. “The difference today was the crowd. Did you hear the crowd? It’s the loudest I’ve ever heard it.”
The fans were proof of American Pharoah’s popularity. They did not disappoint Zayat or Monmouth Park, as they came out in record numbers (60,983) for the greatest day in the racetrack’s history, for which the track had forecasted and prepared. Monmouth Park’s previous record crowd was 53,638 for the Haskell in 2003.
American Pharoah was the first Triple Crown champion to grace the historic Oceanport track.
This was the 48th running of the Haskell Invitational, and it offered its richest purse at $1.75 million, with $1.1 million going to American Pharoah.