Will the naysayers please step forward?
You know who you are. The ones who called American Pharoah the "best of a bad lot" after a hard-working score in unspectacular time in the Kentucky Derby. The ones who called him "lucky" after a front-running romp in the Preakness slop, figuring that the colt's chief rivals were taken out of their game by the mud. The ones who said the Triple Crown was too tough and needed to be changed. The ones who said the horses weren't tough enough to ever complete the sweep again.
It's time to admit you were wrong. On a fast track, with no excuses for anyone, American Pharoah demolished his field and the Triple Crown drought. Yes, he had things his own way---but that's because he was good enough to force everyone else to play his game. Yes, he didn't run that fast in the Derby and Preakness, but he ran fast when he needed to, fast enough to hang up the second-fastest winning time ever for a Triple Crown champion.
American Pharoah hasn't solved racing's problems; that's far too big a task for any horse. But for a magical moment at Belmont, he reminded people of everything that can be right about racing: speed and power, dreams and beauty. He's a champion. He's all class, regardless of whether you like his connections or hate them. And he's now American racing's 12th Triple Crown winner.
You know who you are. The ones who called American Pharoah the "best of a bad lot" after a hard-working score in unspectacular time in the Kentucky Derby. The ones who called him "lucky" after a front-running romp in the Preakness slop, figuring that the colt's chief rivals were taken out of their game by the mud. The ones who said the Triple Crown was too tough and needed to be changed. The ones who said the horses weren't tough enough to ever complete the sweep again.
It's time to admit you were wrong. On a fast track, with no excuses for anyone, American Pharoah demolished his field and the Triple Crown drought. Yes, he had things his own way---but that's because he was good enough to force everyone else to play his game. Yes, he didn't run that fast in the Derby and Preakness, but he ran fast when he needed to, fast enough to hang up the second-fastest winning time ever for a Triple Crown champion.
American Pharoah hasn't solved racing's problems; that's far too big a task for any horse. But for a magical moment at Belmont, he reminded people of everything that can be right about racing: speed and power, dreams and beauty. He's a champion. He's all class, regardless of whether you like his connections or hate them. And he's now American racing's 12th Triple Crown winner.
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