Is American Pharoah Baffert's best horse?

[DaTruth]

Zensational has to be in the conversation.
"He’s incredible. He’s a beast. He’s one of the three best horses I’ve ever trained,” trainer Bob Baffert said. “He’s one of the few you get in a lifetime. He is as fast, as powerful, and as good-looking as any horse you will ever see. He breezed faster than really good horses run.”

[outofthebox]

This is why i feel AP is his best. And this mostly comes from a horseman's view. What if find is most amazing about this guy, is that he overcame a 6 month layoff where two months of it was convalescing an injury. Believe me, a normal horse would have never gotten ready for a Triple Crown in the short amount of time he had for preparation. His workout pattern was actually abbreviated from the normal Baffert pattern. In place of his final workouts was actually a race (Rebel) which set him up for his first real test of the year (Arkansas Derby), which ended up as a workout in itself. In reality his first big test of the year was The Derby. And he struggled, we all saw that. It was an effort that actually brought him down to earth to most pundits. Gone was the "super horse" tag many had pinned on him. It was the first time the Baffert team actually had to deal with a tired horse after the race. Most experts were calling for an regression in the Preakness. None doing. He ran everyone off their feet in the quagmire and proceeding to come out of the race stronger. The three weeks between the Preakness and the Belmont we probably witnessed AP in his strongest breeze showings. Here was a horse who was peeking going into the last leg of the Triple Crown. I'm not going to get in a debate about the easy trip he got away with, or the 105 Beyer that he was assigned. What i took out of this final race of the Triple Crown was the power and ease of which he controlled the race from the start. It's not often you watch a Belmont and the winner is still well in hand as he turns into the stretch. AP only was extended for 5/16th of a mile, and was in full stride at the wire and still full of run on the gallop out. I can't wait for the second half of the season for AP..Like all 3yo's, he's going to have to improve his numbers to be competitive in the fall classics. I have faith that he will...

[Benny]

Originally Posted by outofthebox

This is why i feel AP is his best. And this mostly comes from a horseman's view. What if find is most amazing about this guy, is that he overcame a 6 month layoff where two months of it was convalescing an injury. Believe me, a normal horse would have never gotten ready for a Triple Crown in the short amount of time he had for preparation. His workout pattern was actually abbreviated from the normal Baffert pattern. In place of his final workouts was actually a race (Rebel) which set him up for his first real test of the year (Arkansas Derby), which ended up as a workout in itself. In reality his first big test of the year was The Derby. And he struggled, we all saw that. It was an effort that actually brought him down to earth to most pundits. Gone was the "super horse" tag many had pinned on him. It was the first time the Baffert team actually had to deal with a tired horse after the race. Most experts were calling for an regression in the Preakness. None doing. He ran everyone off their feet in the quagmire and proceeding to come out of the race stronger. The three weeks between the Preakness and the Belmont we probably witnessed AP in his strongest breeze showings. Here was a horse who was peeking going into the last leg of the Triple Crown. I'm not going to get in a debate about the easy trip he got away with, or the 105 Beyer that he was assigned. What i took out of this final race of the Triple Crown was the power and ease of which he controlled the race from the start. It's not often you watch a Belmont and the winner is still well in hand as he turns into the stretch. AP only was extended for 5/16th of a mile, and was in full stride at the wire and still full of run on the gallop out. I can't wait for the second half of the season for AP..Like all 3yo's, he's going to have to improve his numbers to be competitive in the fall classics. I have faith that he will...

I believe ATR show today brought up the question of other trainers possibly putting in a rabbit in the next races of AP. What do you think,?

[outofthebox]

Originally Posted by Benny

I believe ATR show today brought up the question of other trainers possibly putting in a rabbit in the next races of AP. What do you think,?

I think as the races progress over the summer, there will be no need for a rabbit..There will be other 3yo's that are just progressing now that will be in the Haskell or The Travers that will create another race shape than what we witnessed in AP's last two races. He has proven to be a very relaxed competitor(Arkansas Derby) and is very attuned to what the jockey is asking of him. I've read in a few stories that people were comparing him to Slew. They are two different animals. Slew wanted to attack you and be in control from the start. Such a tenacious fighter he was on the track. AP looks like he is having fun out there and just going through the motions..