BREEDERS’ CUP

CLASSIC (Grade 1)

AMERICA’s horse, the Triple Crown winner American Pharoah bid farewell to the racetrack in his most dominant performance when he lead all the way to win the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic.

With his long stride gobbling up ground, the Triple Crown hero moved to an easy lead in the first quarter and never faltered.

“He gave everyone what they came to see today,” said the colt’s trainer, Bob Baffert. “I’ve never seen anything like him; I’ve never trained anything like him. I’m just glad Pharoah goes out the champ he is.”

This was the horse who thrilled American sport with brilliant victories in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes, and came back to win the Haskell Invitational.

Breaking smoothly from post 4 under Victor Espinoza, he went to the front, striding out to even fractions of 23.99sec, 47.40secs and 1m 11.21secs through six furlongs.

Asked to move faster as the headed for the final turn, he drew away to a six and a half length win.

“I knew this was going to be his last race, and I let him run,” Espinoza said. “On the backside, the path I was in was a little deep, so I decided to move out and he accelerated a little. Turning for home, I knew I was gone.”

The Classic triumph for Zayat Stables’ homebred son of Pioneerof the Nile brought down the curtain on a legendary career, speeding to 10 furlongs in 2m 00.07sec, the fastest race run at the distance in Keeneland history on any surface.

It was the 12th overall Breeders’ Cup win for Baffert, who took his second consecutive Classic after winning the 2014 running with Bayern. He is ranked second only to D. Wayne Lukas, who has won 20.

It was the third Breeders’ Cup win for Espinoza, and the first for the Zayat family.

“What can I say? What a horse! He is the most brilliant horse I have ever seen,” owner Ahmed Zayat said. “We so appreciate (having) him, and we owe American Pharoah everything. He is a once in a lifetime horse... He runs with his heart and he is brilliantly fast.”

The win banished the memory of his only defeat of the season by 16/1 shot Keen Ice in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga in August. Neither Frosted or Keen Ice, who had pushed him hard in that race ever got involved this time.

“I am so proud of this horse, but I am so relieved,” Baffert said. “After his last race, I got so down on myself. When he’s right, he’s right, and you saw what he can do today. It has been a privlege to train this horse... I am so proud of him.”

“I had more pressure. I wanted him to go out a winner. This one was for ‘Pharoah.’ It was for the people who came to see this and I’m glad he gave the people what they wanted to see. I’ll never have another horse like him.”

Effinex, who provided the only pressure on the backstretch, held second at 100/1.

“I’m ecstatic,” trainer Jimmy Jerkens said. “I was happy to see him sitting second early and not being rank. American Pharoah started pulling away on the backside but he stayed second. It was unbelievable.”

Mike Smith on Effinex said: “The real guy (American Pharoah) showed up today.”

Honor Code ran gamely from last to finish four and a half lengths back in third.

“He was the only one to close,” trainer Shug McGaughey said of his multiple Grade I winner who also retires to stud. “Those two ran 1-2 all the way around. As a trainer, he’s the first Triple Crown winner I’ve seen, and I think he was a very deserving Triple Crown winner.”

Gleneagles never looked happy, last and racing with his head to one side as they entered the straight.

Aidan O’Brien said: “It was massive to ask the horse and he couldn’t quite get home. He’s a top class miler on fast ground and he’s had a long, hard season getting him ready for races. The winner is one of the most amazing things I’ve seen.”

Ryan Moore added: “It will be fair to say that he hated the track.”

A crowd of 50,155 made American Pharoah the 3/5 favourite in a field of eight in the Classic, with the scratches of Smooth Roller and Beholder.

American Pharoah headed off to a stud career at Ashford Stud the next day with a final record of nine wins and a second from 11 starts for earnings of $8,650,300.

The win puts American Pharoah fourth in all-time earnings among all North American-trained horses, behind Curlin, Cigar and Skip Away.

He eaned a high Beyer speed figure of 120. Timeform America gave him a rating of 138.