They were the gift horses that everyone turned down and now the hope is that these gifted horses can give just once more.
Golden Horn and American Pharoah will be the star attractions for the 32nd Breeders’ Cup meeting at Keeneland but neither attracted much interest two years ago when both horses went to auction as yearlings but failed to attract a buyer.
Since then Golden Horn has distinguished himself by winning the Derby, Eclipse Stakes, Irish Champion Stakes and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe while American Pharoah has achieved what some had come to regard as the almost impossible Holy Grail of the first Triple Crown winner in America for 37 years.
Golden Horn may be the main draw card of the European runners but, once again, the draw has not been kind to John Gosden’s runner. In the Arc he was slightly to the left of Jeremy Corbin in stall 14 and it required a race-winning early manoeuvre from Frankie Dettori to allow Golden Horn the chance to prove himself the best in Europe when he won by two lengths.
This time the opposite is the case and Golden Horn will have to break from the No1 gate in the $3million Turf. And break quickly or else face the prospect of being shuffled to the back of the pack on the run to the first bend.
The arrival of heavy rain earlier in the week, remnants of Hurricane Patricia, has not helped the cause but, if Golden Horn can overcome the ground joker, Dettori still appears to be holding all the aces.
This will be Golden Horn’s last run before being retired to stud as with American Pharoah who has become the poster boy of American racing having featured on the front cover of Vogue magazine. He runs in the $5million Classic, a race that his trainer, Bob Baffert, won for the first time 12 months ago after years of trying. But this is different.
"I watch this like I'm his father," Baffert said. "I send my kid out there and I want him to do well. I don't want him to drop the pass in the end zone. I'll be nervous."
Three years ago Baffert took 10 horses to the Breeders’ Cup, many of them favourites, and saw them all beaten but now he relies upon just one and hopes that American Pharoah can provide the fitting parting gift.
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