A blend of sheer size and endurance has given Justify a shot at the Triple Crown. He also spread the tape across the length of colt’s body, against his legs and under his throat.As assistant trainer Jimmy Barnes held American Pharoah outside Baffert’s Barn 33 at Churchill Downs, curious fans and others such as Seattle Slew’s jockey Jean Cruguet watched this tale of the tape unfold in front of them.
I could see that when (98-year-old retired veterinarian) Dr. (William) McGee was there at the barn at Churchill Downs in his wheelchair feeding him carrots,” added Seaman, who spent many mornings observing the colt.American Pharoah draws size and classic scope from his sire and sire line, being a grandson of Belmont Stakes winner and Kentucky Derby runner-up Empire Maker, who is by Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Unbridled. Thus, what later became known as the Triple Crown was denied Big Red.The champion stallion was Horse of the Year in 1920 and entered horse racing's Hall of Fame.Man O' War was retired to stud as a four-year-old, siring the likes of The great Man O' War died in 1947 of an apparent heart attack.His racing career lasted only 16 months but the standard he set during that time has been unequalled since.At a time when television sports coverage was exploding, Secretariat acquired the phenomenon known as "star power." Each had 21 races and competed only as 2 and 3-year-olds. But it was not meant to be, and we must look at each horse individually, on his own merits.He so dominated his competition, he was handicapped regularly with weights of 130 pounds as a two-year-old and 138 pounds as a three-year-old. *Height measured to a point in the neck, not top of withersThere are so many factors, tangible and intangible, that combine in the making of a great racehorse, from the lightning interaction of genes at the time of conception to the blades of grass and grains of oats consumed, to basic luck in avoiding injury.In the immediate afterglow of American Pharoah’s unprecedented Grand Slam sweep, trainer Bob Baffert said exceptional mechanics are what truly set the colt apart — his singular ability to soar over the ground with tremendous, free-flowing strides.Still in awe over the horse he had trained for two seasons, Baffert recounted his attempt to show fellow Eclipse Award-winning trainer Todd Pletcher how fluidly American Pharoah moves while their charges were stabled in the same barn at Keeneland.“I said, ‘Todd, watch this horse.’ He didn't want to take the shank,” Baffert related, searching for words that would adequately describe the physical power contained within American Pharoah that, when unleashed, proved pure magic on the racetrack. Even so, because the constantly-evolving sport was so different for both horses, an accurate comparison is impossible.Nevertheless, allow this writer to provide some pertinent facts concerning the two front runners for the title, Man O' War and Secretariat's uncanny similarities were more numerous than their differences. War was foaled on March 29, 1917; Secretariat on March 30, 1970. Of course, he had earlier won the Kentucky Derby in record time, and went on to become the first horse in 25 years to win the Triple Crown.In 21 races, the big colt set two world records, three track records and one American record.