American Pharoah

Stronach Group Chairman and President Belinda Stronach and Maryland Governor Larry Hogan will announce the rescheduled date for the 145th GI Preakness S. on NBC Sports Saturday. NBC Sports will present a special show on NBC at 5 p.m. ET this Saturday, May 16--the original date for the race--headlined by American Pharoah's memorable Preakness S. win five years ago. The one-hour special--The Middle Jewel: American Pharoah's Run to the Triple Crown--will look back at American Pharoah's dominating win in the 140th Preakness S. Just prior to post time in 2015,...

Insights, Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 6th-GP, Msw, $45K, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16mT, 3:43 p.m ET A full field of 12 plus three also-eligibles signs on for this maiden turf route Thursday in Hallandale, headed by expensive Todd Pletcher debutante THANKFUL (American Pharoah). Owned by Bass Stables, the bay is a half-sister to GSW Brazen Persuasion (Indian Charlie) and hammered for $625,000 as a Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling. She shows a steady series of breezes at Palm Beach Downs on both turf and dirt going back to mid-March, capped by a...

Fresh off a dominant weekend at Oaklawn Park in which he swept both divisions of the GI Arkansas Derby, Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert joined the TDN Writers' Room podcast presented by Keeneland this week for a wide-ranging video interview. Calling in via Zoom as the Green Group Guest of the Week, Baffert talked about plans for his undefeated trio of Charlatan (Speightstown), Nadal (Blame) and Authentic (Into Mischief), why it was important to support California backstretch workers at last week's protest, taking over the training of Maximum Security,...

He might not want to answer the question, but among his 1-2-3 Derby prospects, Nadal, Charlatan and Authentic, who is the best? Bob Baffert joins the writers on the Writers' Room podcast to try to answer that question.

Secretariat has been established as the horse to beat in Saturday's Kentucky Derby: Triple Crown Showdown by odds maker Mike Battaglia. The Kentucky Derby: Triple Crown Showdown is an animated race created by Inspired Entertainment Inc. using computer-generated imagery that will feature the 13 past Triple Crown winners in a 1 1/4-mile race at Churchill Downs. The virtual race will air around 5:45 p.m. as part of NBC's broadcast of "The First Saturday In May: American  Pharoah's Run to the Triple Crown" Saturday from 3-6 p.m. Secretariat landed post position...

The Thoroughbred Charities of America will host an online auction of halters worn by Triple Crown and Kentucky Derby winners during the upcoming virtual "Kentucky Derby: Triple Crown Showdown." The halter auction is set to open Friday at 9 a.m. and will conclude Saturday at 9 p.m. EST. All proceeds will benefit TCA. "As the 13 Triple Crown winners face off in the virtual running of the Derby, we are excited to offer halters worn by the only two living Triple Crown winners American Pharoah and Justify, as well as...

With the GI Kentucky Derby postponed until September, NBC will present a special show Saturday--the traditional "first Saturday in May"--headlined by American Pharoah's Kentucky Derby win five years ago. The show begins at 3 p.m. ET. The three-hour The First Saturday In May: American Pharoah's Run to the Triple Crown will look back at American Pharoah's down-to-the-wire victory in the 141st Kentucky Derby, while introducing new stories and content. In addition, the broadcast will highlight Churchill Downs' first-ever virtual horse race--The Kentucky Derby: Triple Crown Showdown, a computer-simulated version of...

CHRIS BAKER, THREE CHIMNEYS Favorite: Sandpit (Brz) This is a difficult choice for me. I have had the good fortune in my professional career, both on the racetrack and in breeding farm management, to work with many outstanding racehorses and get to know them beyond the limited amount you learn from watching races or studying past performances. From A.P. Indy, Kotashaan (Fr), Phone Chatter, Siphon (Brz), Soul of the Matter, Afternoon Deelites and Gentlemen (Arg) in racing to Saint Liam, Quality Road, Raging Fever, Summer Colony, Gygistar, Gun Runner and...

5th-Gulfstream, $38,000, Msw, 4-25, 3yo, 7f, 1:23.25, ft. BASQUIAT (c, 3, American Pharoah--Divalarious {SP}, by Distorted Humor) was legged up for this debut at Payson Park, closing a formidable worktab with a strong five-furlong move in 1:02 2/5 over the deep surface Apr. 19. The second betting favorite at 19-10, about $3,400 less than 9-5 Ashiham (Tapit), the Brant homebred was asked for a bit of speed by the comebacking Irad Ortiz, Jr. and raced prominently early on behind Chasing Anna (Fast Anna) before taking back into fourth while racing...

Even Richard Wagner would have struggled to make anything of this particular "ring cycle". In four starts, Eight Rings (Empire Maker) has so far abruptly alternated the full works--strings, horns, kettle drums--with a timid clink of the triangle. As such, he certainly can't afford to break the cycle when surfacing for the first time since his Breeders' Cup bust in the Bachelor S. at Oaklawn Saturday. Dropping in grade and distance, in fact, he needs to produce the dominant sophomore performance of a day that also features a new stakes...

HANNAH MATHIESEN, OAKMONT HORSE CLUB Favorite: My favorite racehorse of all time is definitely American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile). He was running when I was first getting involved in racing, and I followed him closely since he ran early in his career at my home track, Del Mar. One day, a family friend who writes for the local newspaper said she was going to interview Bob Baffert, and asked if I wanted to come along to be her photographer. Having only been to the backside a handful of times and...

10th-Oaklawn, $60,000, Msw, 4-19, 3yo/up, f/m, 6f, 1:09.96, sy. MERNEITH (f, 3, American Pharoah--Flattermewithroses {SW}, by Flatter) With American Pharoah and Cairo Prince around, one would naturally expect Egyptian choices to be popular in the naming of horses, but the name of Oaklawn winner MERNEITH is really outstanding and fitting. She is a filly by American Pharoah and, "Merneith may have been the first female pharaoh and the earliest queen regnant in recorded history", according to Wikipedia. Please note the slight difference in the spelling of the designation of the...