Same New World: Perception, not approach, changed in the wake of American Pharoah

Prior to last season, some of Thoroughbred racing’s most optimistic and learned participants were buying into the suggestion that something needed to change when it came to the makeup of the American Triple Crown.

Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas repeatedly gave his thoughts on how the spacing and distances of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes should be altered. In 2014, now-former Maryland Jockey Club president Tom Chuckas actually initiated discussions with officials at Churchill Downs and New York Racing Association proposing to move the Preakness to the first weekend in June and the Belmont Stakes to the first weekend in July. And for every Triple Crown near-miss that transpired, there were dozens of think pieces penned on why the five-week series had become too difficult.

In ending the 37-year-old hiatus since Affirmed achieved the sweep in 1978, American Pharoah’s Triple Crown heroics last season put to rest talk that the current incarnation of the classics needed revisions to suit the modern North American Thoroughbred. And now that horsemen have seen what some thought had become impossible achieved, it has made many resolute in their belief that their approach to the classics doesn’t need changing either.

“You know, it’s not going to change anything the way we do things,” said trainer Mark Casse, who has Eclipse Award finalist Airoforce on the Derby trail this season. “But I never doubted (another Triple Crown winner) would happen. When they were talking about changing the Triple Crown, I was like, no, that’s what makes it great. As much as we love American Pharoah, we sure would have liked to have been the guy to win the Triple Crown … but to me it doesn’t change anything.”

“I mean, I felt all along that it could be done and would be done, it just had to be the right horse,” added trainer Dale Romans, who conditions Grade I winner Brody’s Cause. “It doesn’t change anything for me. I think each horse is different and you have to treat each one as an individual for the Triple Crown.”

Indeed, American Pharoah’s feat is not going to get trainers en masse to blindly adopt a two-prep schedule and send all of their contenders to Oaklawn Park. If anything, the champion’s pre-Kentucky Derby conditioning was a clinic on the part of trainer Bob Baffert on listening to the horse first and making plans later.

If there is a new wrinkle to those with promising 3-year-old runners this season, it is more of a mental reassurance now that the industry strain of trying to end the Triple Crown drought is off.

“Every year was like, hopefully this is the one, finally,” said Graham Motion, trainer of 2011 Kentucky Derby winner and champion Animal Kingdom. “Maybe it will take some of the pressure off. But I was never a believer that there was anything wrong with the system.

“I always thought the Triple Crown was meant to be difficult and I wouldn’t be surprised if someone comes back and wins it again in a couple of years. Having been through it with Animal Kingdom, I felt that he came into everyone of those races in great shape so, from my own personal point of view, I didn’t feel like it was too hard on the horses. It was hard, but it was doable.”

This story was originally published February 13, 2016 at 9:50 PM with the headline "Same New World: Perception, not approach, changed in the wake of American Pharoah."