On Friday, almost 20,000 came to just see American Pharoah gallop!

He’s just a horse… but a great horse who has done much more than win the Triple Crown. He has engendered love, respect and excitement among those who know even a little about horses. We all wanted to be around him. Maybe it’s also photos like this showing his owner lying on the ground with Pharoah and his trainer with Pharoah’s head virtually in his lap, that make this horse seem accessible. We can all imagine snuggling with this great champion.

On Saturday, they ran the Travers Stakes, also known as the Summer Derby. Despite being stalked , leaned on and bumped by Frosted, American Pharoah came back from being headed by Frosted to pull away in the stretch. Unfortunately, this battle left the two horses spent and Keen Ice came on in the stretch for a 3/4 length victory over American Pharoah.

This will have as little impact on Pharoah’s legacy as Secretariat’s two losses after his Triple Crown had on Secretariat’s legacy. He ran a tough gutty race. He’s a champion.

Now, who is Pointe Class, you ask?

She’s a 3-yr. old filly who we claimed last Wednesday out of the day’s last race. A friend of mine was after us to claim a horse with him and use his trainer, Carl Domino. So, we finally got successful. She won’t race up here but will be ready to race at Belmont in about two weeks.

I had hoped to send many more missives this summer but first, we were so busy and now, I’m running a fever. Anyway, I apologize but I really do want you to share the excitement, as well as the ups and downs of horse racing. I’ll keep trying to do that.