Will Triple Crown fit American Pharoah, or will the Belmont stop him?
American Pharoah was ultra-impressive in winning Saturday's Preakness over the quagmire known as Pimlico Race Course.
Why is this horse different from any other horse that has tried to win the Belmont on June 6 and complete the Triple Crown since 1978?
The 3-year-old ridgling will be the 14th horse to try and complete the trifecta. For one reason or another, none of the previous 13 have been able to seal the deal.
American Pharoah won the Preakness with ease. His seven foes were left in the wake of puddles and mud. His seven-length victory was eye-pleasing.
However -- and we have to get to that word -- impressive wins in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness have not meant much when the starting gate opens for the Belmont since Affirmed won his Triple Crown.
Why he will do it
American Pharoah has shaken off the best of what appeared to be a strong crop of 3-year-olds. And he seems to be getting better and better. He has vanquished stablemate Dortmund twice now. Firing Line failed to fire in the Preakness, but American Pharoah had his measure at the finish line in the Kentucky Derby.
The Zayat Stables have been pitching the Pioneer of the Nile ridgling as the next big thing from the get-go. There has been absolutely nothing to suggest they are wrong. As much as Victor Espinoza urged him in the Kentucky Derby, he was as relaxed and calm in the second leg of the Triple Crown. He was on cruise control while running away from his opponents.
Sooner or later, something has to give. Thirteen horses -- unlucky 13? -- have failed to win the Triple Crown. At this point, the odds have to be in the favor of a 12th TC winner. It isn't logic, but some of the losses by horses that have failed in the Belmont have defied any and all sense.
Espinoza and trainer Bob Baffert are also due.
Steve Coburn, co-owner of California Chrome, caught a tremendous amount of criticism for his blistering rant after the 2014 Belmont. Coburn chided the owners and trainers of other horses who skipped the Preakness to freshen their horses for the Belmont.
Then there's the grind of the Triple Crown. American Pharoah will be racing for the third time in five weeks. He has raced four times since March 14. Before that, he raced a grand total of three times in his career. For the 1 1/2-mile Belmont a horse's tank needs to be full. How much American Pharoah has left will only be determined when the gate opens for the final leg of the Triple Crown.