Just a year ago, the sometimes crazy world of thoroughbred racing was ready grab its share of the headlines as a major player in the world of perspiring arts.
It was riding the popularity of California Chrome, winner of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness.
California Chrome was the first horse to enter the Belmont gate with a shot at winning the Triple Crown since 2008, when Big Brown burned out on the Belmont track, finishing ninth. I'll Have Another won the first two legs of the Triple Crown in 2012 but scratched the day before the Belmont and never raced again.
California Chrome was ready to become the great American racing story. Not regally bred, he was trained by journeyman trainer Art Sherman, who had slept in the barns at Churchill Downs when he was an aspiring jockey.
Right out of the gate, California Chrome was stepped on by Matterhorn and lost a chunk of tissue, which probably had more to do with him losing the Belmont than the 1½-mile distance or the rigors of racing three times in five weeks.
Now comes Arkansas Pharoah, OK, it is actually American Pharoah, but the California-based colt won the Rebel Stakes and Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs. That makes him a little bit of an Arky, and Oaklawn is throwing a Pharoah Party on Saturday.
Granted, it's not like Smarty Jones, who trained at Oaklawn and also went into the Belmont with two jewels of the Triple Crown.
Smarty Jones captured the hearts of the nation.As a baby, he had almost died after an accident at the starting gate. His original trainer, Bobby Camac, was murdered by his stepson. John Servis became his trainer, and Servis was surrounded by his wife and sons, making him a feel-good story.
Servis showed his loyalty by allowing Stewart Elliott to be his jockey. Elliott was anything but a household name, and when Smarty retired, Elliott slipped back into a world of obscurity. Smarty was horse racing's Rocky Balboa.
By winning the Rebel Stakes, Arkansas Derby and Kentucky Derby, Smarty Jones earned a $5 million bonus, a "Cellabration" that Oaklawn owner Charles Cella had offered to commemorate the 100th birthday of Oaklawn Park.
An overflow crowd crammed its way into Belmont Park that Saturday, and Smarty gave it his all, but it was as if jockey Jerry Bailey on Eddington and Alex Solis on Rock Hard Ten were not going to allow an unknown jockey to do something they couldn't do with many great mounts.
There was no relaxing that day as they pressed Smarty Jones from the very start. A side note to that story was Rock Hard Ten's regular jockey Gary Stevens refused to ride that day because he didn't like the "strategy."
Smarty tired in the last 100 yards, and Birdstone became the first horse to pass him in a race.
American Pharoah is the 14th horse to go into the Belmont needing one more victory to end the drought of no Triple Crown winners that has been a very long 37 years. Affirmed was the last to win the Big Three in 1978.
Monday morning, American Pharoah had his final work, cruising 5 furlongs in 1:00.02 at Churchill Downs, where he won the Kentucky Derby. It was an impressive workout and an indication he is fully recovered from his seven-length Preakness victory and ready to take on a field that was reduced from nine to seven challengers Monday, six of whom are coming off longer layoffs that Pharoah.
His biggest threat may be Materiality, who may have had the worst trip ever encountered by a horse in the Kentucky Derby, rallying from 17th to sixth in the last quarter of a mile.
Trainer Todd Pletcher never considered running Materiality in the Preakness and immediately started training him for the Belmont.
Yet, American Pharoah appears ready for the challenge, and he may be challenged every step of the way.
Sports on 06/02/2015