AP to Breeders Cup

Triple Crown winner American Pharoah who just lost a race will compete for the first time against
older horses in the world's richest race - The Breeders Cup Classic to be held in October. The purse
for this race is 5 million. The purse for the Kentucky Derby is 2 million. The connections of the winning
horse will share 60% of 5 million for about 2 minutes of effort behind which is dozens of hours of training
and preparation. Usually the winner of this race is considered to be America's greatest horse. If you like
AP there is good news and bad news. The good news is that his odds should be higher. The bad news
is that against older horses the competition is much tougher. If there are 12 horses in the race there are
going to be at least 3 that can match him stride for stride in the early going. There is no way that he will
be allowed to get an easy early lead as he has in past races. No horse has ever won both the Triple Crown
and the Breeders Cup Classic. If he wins this race he will certainly be regarded as one the the greatest
horses of all time even though his raw speed is not equal to that of the great horses of the past. The public
loves this horse and the sharks will be watching closely to see if he is overbet thereby offering an edge
to bet against him. If they bet against they will have another big problem in choosing which horse or horses
to bet on. I would predict that he will not win this race and that sharp players can find an edge betting
against him. Today's thoroughbreds cannot be faulted for not have clockings equal to the great horses
of the past in longer distance races. Because of the astronomical prices to purchase a highbred
they are bred more for speed than stamina so that owners can get a quick return on their investment
in the early races in their career which are sprints. These races often have large purses too.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/04/sp...tml?ref=sports

Quote: lilredrooster

No horse has ever won both the Triple Crown and the Breeders Cup Classic.

Then again, no horse has won the Triple Crown but lost the Breeders Cup Classic, either. In fact, not too many Kentucky Derby winners have won the Classic as a 3-year-old; Sunday Silence, Unbridled, and A.P. Indy appear to be the only ones. (Alysheba finished second to Ferdinand as a 3-year-old, and won as a 4-year-old. I am under the impression that whoever owns the stud rights to American Pharoah are demanding that he not race as a 4-year-old.)

Then again the Breeders Cup Classic has only been in existence since 1984. I would guess that some of the great horses of the past, namely Secretariat, Seattle Slew, Affirmed and Spectacular Bid would have won it as 3 year olds if it had been in existence then. But it's impossible to know that. Yes, this is APs last race. He's worth millions as a stud. The public is lucky that the owner didn't retire him after winning the Belmont Stakes.