American Pharoah Wins Preakness to Keep Triple Crown Intact

[Purveyor]

Source: Bloomberg

By Mason Levinson
6:23 PM EDT May 16, 2015

American Pharoah won the 140th Preakness Stakes, becoming the third horse in four years to take the first two legs of the Triple Crown.

Victor Espinoza rode the Kentucky Derby champion to a seven-length victory from the rail at a rain-soaked Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore on Saturday. It was the jockey’s third win in the 1-3/16 mile (1.9 mile) Preakness and the sixth for trainer Bob Baffert.
Tale of Verve finished second and Divining Rod was third.

Dortmund, American Pharoah’s stablemate, was fourth, and Mr. Z, who challenged the winner early in the race, finished fifth. Danzig Moon was sixth; second-favorite Firing Line was 45 lengths back in seventh; and Bodhisattva finished eighth.

American Pharoah can become the 13th Triple Crown winner, and first since Affirmed in 1978, with a win at the 1 1/2-mile Belmont Stakes on June 6 in New York. Since 1978, 13 horses have won both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness without completing the Triple Crown.

Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-05-16/american-pharoah-wins-preakness-to-keep-triple-crown-run-intact

[gwheezie]

1. Espinoza rode it right

He changed his strategy when track conditions changed.

[yallerdawg]

2. That was impressive!

This could be the one!

[ananda]

3. That is a beautiful horse!

..

[badbob]

4. distance could be a real problem

the 1 and 1/2 miles of the Belmont is the rock that breaks many a heart

[Abouttime]

9. And breaks many a leg

Didn't we learn anything from Barbaro or Eight Belles?
These were just 2 of the THOUSANDS of unwilling horses (victims) forced to run for entertainment till their legs literally broke on national TV!
What kind of sick society puts this kind of cruel spectacle on national TV for all to watch?
What does this show our children about the way to treat lesser beings? That it's ok to whip them till they break their legs and die?
Dog racing is all but dead in this country, other blood sports such as cock fighting have become felonies with long prison sentences as a deterrent but we let the rich continue to do this to horses?
Horse racing needs to end, the sooner the better. Those that enjoy it are sick, those that participate in it are abusers no different than pimps and human traffickers.
Someday soon this so called 'sport' will be ended, relegated to a dark page in human history.
Till then I hope the minute percentage of thinking people who enjoy this form of lowly amusement reflect on what they are supporting and come to their senses, this is abuse in its purest form.

[chernabog]

10. +100000

[BluegrassDem]

12. I live in Kentucky and those horses are treated better than people

People with no knowledge of the sport should keep quiet. Has anyone seen the barns these horses live in? They live better than most people. Also these are thoroughbred horses. They are a special breed meant to run. If they weren't racing on a track, they'd be running somewhere. They're very high-strung and powerful animals. They are meant to race. There is simply no abuse of these animals...period. Anyone saying otherwise is full of horseshit.

[Abouttime]

13. treated better than people?

You mean better than the slaves that were held in kentucky? Most of those very farms you speak of probably had slaves taking care of the horses 160 years ago and yes, you're right, the horses were treated better.
Horse racing like slavery belongs in the 19th century as do many other forms.of man's inhumanity.
The breeding and racing of thoroughbred horses should end.
Imagine if the time, money and effort spent on useless endeavors such as Horse racing was spent on inner city youth?

[Abouttime]

14. Google Scott Blasi

All you need to know about racing. He was in the elite of the racing world.
If multi million dollar horses are abused as BlasI did imagine what the poor $5000 claimers endure?
Horse racing needs to end.

[chernabog]

15. The abuse is obvious

You are blind to the exploitation.

[chernabog]

5. What a disgusting "sport"

Racing of animals needs to stop

[CharlotteVale]

6. +1 I could not believe they made the horses run

in that weather. Greed over all.

[Abouttime]

7. I saw this poor animal whipped 30+ times in the Kentucky derby

If someone did that anywhere else but a racetrack they would be charged with felony animal cruelty.
Horse racing is no sport it's animal abuse, thousands of horses a year die on racetracks every year for the enrichment and entertainment of humans. This needs to stop and the day is coming sooner rather than later when it will. Horse racing is literally on its last legs, attendance at tracks is way down, handles are a fraction of what they were as people find easier and more entertaining ways to gamble. We should throw horse racing onto the ash heap of history along with other shameful sports such as bull fighting and chicken fighting.

[CharlotteVale]

8. Exactly - horse racing is animal abuse. They can dress it up and

romanticize it all they want, but bottom line, it's animal abuse. But since it's animal abuse where rich people abuse the animals, it's considered an American tradition.

[Abouttime]

11. It is the last bastion of abusing animals for sport

The fact that there are people on this site that actually participate and condone this behavior confuses me.
How can one be progressive, liberal and compassionate and watch this disgusting so called 'sport'?
What is wrong with people who have the right idea on humanity but such a glaring lack of compassion for animals?