ARKANSAS DERBY
(Grade 1)
ZAYAT Stables’ homebred American Pharoah continued his dominance of the Oaklawn Park three-year-old series last Saturday, by blowing away seven rivals in the nine-furlong $1 million Grade 1 Arkansas Derby with an impressive eight-length victory.
Shifting from his usual front-running tactics, the colt by Pioneerof the Nile tracked just off the pace set by longshot Bridget’s Big Luvy. He reeled that one in with ease heading into the far turn and drew away under a hand ride from jockey Victor Espinoza, winning geared down and with ears pricked.
“I know that he is a very talented and very fast horse, but today he showed us a different dimension,” owner Ahmed Zayat remarked. “This horse can do anything. He’s brilliant.”
Last year’s two-year-old champion, trained by Bob Baffert won at the heavily favoured at odds of 1/9. Far Right closed from last to pip the other Zayat-owned runner, Mr Z for second.
The winner earned 100 points on the road to the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on 2nd May, boosting his total to 160 and ensured a spot in the 20-horse starting gate on the first Saturday in May. He ranks fourth on the leaderboard behind Grade 1 Louisiana Derby winner International Star, Kaleem Shah’s fellow Baffert trainee and Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby winner Dortmund, and Grade 1 Toyota Blue Grass winner Carpe Diem.
“He’s matured substantially,” Baffert said. “We just worried about getting a clean break and he did, and then Victor rode him with a lot of confidence. He’s a good horse and he keeps moving forward. I don’t want to get ahead of myself but Dortmund is another one who we don’t yet know how good he is. We’ve got a one-two punch and that’s a good position to be in.”
Far Right and Mr. Z also secured places in the Derby field and are likely to enter; Grade 3 Southwest Stakes winner Far Right ranks 10th with 62 points and multiple graded stakes-placed Mr. Z is 18th with 34.
“I was real pleased,” said trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who trains Mr. Z for the Zayats. “We kind of put it back together today. I thought we were going to be second, and then damn, he gassed a little bit there.
“Coming back in two weeks (from the Grade I Louisiana Derby), I think if we’d had more time we could have been a clear second. The winner is a special horse. Bob had him trained to the minute. He’s special. With our horse, it’s on to the (Kentucky) Derby.”
American Pharoah won the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn in March in his season debut and heads into the Derby with just two starts in 2015. He has now taken four races in a row by a combined 22¼ lengths, a streak begun with the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity and Grade 1 Front Runner Stakes last September.
“It wasn’t that we needed the points. We needed the race,” commented Baffert’s assistant trainer. “He needed another race under his belt and he did enough today. We’ll cruise into Churchill Downs and give him one work there and we’ll be ready.”