American Pharoah rains supreme in Preakness

BALTIMORE - A hot, muggy spring day had begun to cool late Saturday afternoon as the area around Pimlico darkened and a breeze blew through the old racetrack grounds. It was 5:35 p.m. when Kentucky Derby winner American Pharoah emerged from the stakes barn to get his prerace bath, a ritual that would quickly prove unnecessary.

The 140th Preakness, which attracted a record 131,680, was about to get an unwanted visit from the skies, which went black as the eight horses were wandering about the grass course 15 minutes before the 6:18 post time. It looked and felt like the end of the world, with the wind and the thunder and the lightning and the pelting rain and visibility so bad that the backstretch was a rumor from the grandstand roof.

Perhaps, it was all a sign from the racing gods when the track went from fast dirt to a raging river in a few minutes that the 37-year Triple Crown drought is about to end.

Whatever it meant, or did not mean, it was just a ridiculous amount of water that drenched the horses and jockeys in the post parade while turning the teeming infield into Woodstock.

"I've never been through anything like that," American Pharoah's trainer Bob Baffert said. "That was crazy. I thought, I don't know what's going to happen with the thunder. These horses, I could tell they didn't like it when they get pelted like that and I was worried about the cotton balls in his ears. What if they're getting soaking wet? How is he going to react? Maybe I should have taken them out. I was thinking of all these different things.

"Then I saw a picture of the track with like a river running on the rail, and I thought, 'He's got to run through that?' All these things were going through my mind."

The conditions had no effect on American Pharoah. The Preakness was all but over when he cleared the field in the first 100 yards and made the other horses chase him through very fast early fractions while getting frustrated and exhausted from the kickback.

The field appeared to be closing on American Pharoah as he hit the far turn. It was an illusion.

"My wife Jill said, 'They're coming to him,' " Baffert said. "And I said, 'No, he's waiting, he's waiting.' He just let him out and he throws it into overdrive."

The overdrive was good enough for a 7-length win and for the 14th time since Affirmed won it in 1978 and 10th time since 1997, a chance at the horse racing Holy Grail that is the Triple Crown in the June 6 Belmont Stakes at massive, imposing Belmont Park.

It was difficult to put the winning performance into any context. The time, 1:58.46, was very slow for the mile-and-3/16. The final 3/16 in 20.72 seconds was also quite slow. The surface obviously changed dramatically after the monsoon, so who knows what the time means.

What we do know is that American Pharoah is an absolutely brilliant racehorse, the first 2-year-old champion with a chance at the Triple Crown since Maryland's own Spectacular Bid inexplicably lost the 1979 Belmont Stakes and got this bizarre steak started.

What we also know is that the 1 1/2-mile Belmont, one time around America's biggest racetrack, has become a black hole for some truly wonderful racehorses where mysterious events overtake what should be coronations.

The only two horses that made up any ground in the Derby, Frosted (fourth) and Materiality (sixth), did not come to Baltimore. They have been resting at their home track, Belmont Park, waiting to challenge the Derby and Preakness winner. Materiality is trained by Todd Pletcher, who is 1-for-life in the Derby, does not even bother to try the Preakness anymore but absolutely knows how to win the Belmont, with two wins in the last 8 years.

Meanwhile, it is 3 weeks of hope for the fans and angst for the connections, everybody wondering if this, finally, is the right horse, the only horse who will contest all three Triple Crown races this year.

"He's just an amazing horse," Baffert said. "Everybody talks about the greatness and he's starting to show it. To me, they have to prove it . . . He's just so fast, the way he ran. It was like poetry in motion."

When American Pharoah strides out, it looks like he is gliding while the other horses are straining. It looks quite a bit like greatness.

"We need a star," owner Ahmed Zayat said. "He's indeed the real deal. Please God, let's continue."

It was Baffert's sixth Preakness. He will become the first trainer to have four chances at a Triple Crown. Silver Charm (1997) lost by a few feet. Real Quiet (1998) lost by an inch in the toughest beat in racing history. War Emblem (2002) tried hard after nearly falling at the break, but he really had no chance after the start.

Espinoza, who rode War Emblem and California Chrome last year, is to be the first jockey with three chances at a Triple Crown.

Espinoza said he changed his mind on race strategy and decided to send his colt to the lead because of the rain. Baffert said they always planned to send American Pharoah to the front. Regardless, American Pharoah was in the right place during the race.

"With the weather change and everything, I was just freezing," Espinoza said. "I just wanted to get it over with."

American Pharoah took care of that while his rider was trying to survive because there "was so much water in my boots. I was flooded in them."

Pimlico is a just 3 miles from Mondawmin Mall, where some sort of confrontation 3 weeks ago helped start the riots that threatened to destroy parts of the city that really have nothing much beyond hope anyway. The Preakness is the city's signature event, and no amount of rain was going to deter its citizens from celebrating it.

"What a day for Baltimore," Baffert said. "They really needed this after all they've been through. I'm really happy for them. I just love coming here."

And he brought an incredible horse with him.

"I've said it since March, [American Pharoah] is special, and this might be the year," trainer D. Wayne Lukas said.

American Pharoah got overly excited on the walkover for the Derby. Baffert called it a "meltdown."

"At Churchill Downs he really didn't bring his 'A' game that day," Baffert said. "He struggled a little bit because he used himself up."

The very best horses win on their off days. Before the Preakness, American Pharoah was relaxed and so very ready.

"Today he was so quiet," Baffert said.

And American Pharoah ran like the wind that was chasing him for all 2,090 yards.

"The thing about him, he is the sweetest horse of this caliber that I've ever been around," Baffert said. "I mean, you feed him carrots and he's like a pet . . . Usually they're like athletes. They want to get it on. But he's just the sweetest horse. He's spoiled to death. It was a magical moment watching him come down that stretch."