Triple Crown! After 37 years, Thoroughbred horse racing finally has another Triple Crown winner. And American Pharoah didn’t just win the Belmont Stakes today, he made the other horses look like carthorses.
This post was last modified on January 26, 2021
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Just an aside, having nothing to do with the actual horse or the actual race: when I posted this link I had trouble with the horse's name. I kept "misspelling" it. Finally, irritated with myself, I looked up the word "pharaoh" and discovered it wasn't me misspelling it, it was the horse's stupid owners who misspelled it. I don't know what that means. A lot has happened in America over the last 37 years, much of it negative. I'm not sure what a horse race shows about our country as a whole. But one thing it apparently shows is that our national literacy has decreased, because nobody noticed this misspelling: not the contest winner who submitted it, not the horse owner's family, not his trainers, and not the Thoroughbred association where the name was registered. It's kind of sad that after 37 years we finally get a Triple Crown winner and his name demonstrates the failing intellect of a great nation.
Or maybe I'm just in a foul mood today. Yeah, that's probably it.
Actually the owners had a contest to name this horse when he was young. They chose this name, this spelling, because it was different. Naming horses when they are foals, that's babies to humans, is fun and an art form. So this 3 year old stallion has done, what seems almost impossible, so he'll be remembered for 2 things, a Triple Crown winner and a neat different name. Cheer up it could be far worse. He could have been owned by an Islamist.
I don't know where you got your information but I'm pretty sure you're wrong. Here is what I've read in more than one place: Why American Pharoah's name is spelled wrong.
So, as I said originally, the contest winner spelled it wrong and nobody else noticed, not even the owner who is from EGYPT, for God's sake, where PHARAOHS come from. That's the part that makes it even more stupid. It's like an American moving to Egypt and misspelling George Washington.
Okay, so they missed it. I've been in the horse industry 60 years, with different breeds and their registries. It is very common to use misspellings to set the animals apart, or get it registered even tho there may be a similar name already in use. So in this industry it is neither a crime nor ignorance to have a word, a name, or whatever misspelled. It is, if anything, more of a novelty. Sorry it has you so perplexed and even angry(?). Please don't lose any more sleep over this. Just isn't a big deal to misspell a horse registered name. Have a good life. Sincerely, the end
If that was your apology for making shit up and laying it out there like it's gospel—otherwise known as lying—it was lame, Lightwhoresman.
JP you worry with the stupidest things.
Somebody's got to.
Now, children. Play nice.
Well his name is Ahmed Zayat. He was born in Egypt, is an entrepreneur and became a US citizen. He seems a bit shady: http://money.cnn.com/2015/05/21/news/companies/american-pharoah-gamblers-lawsuit/index.html
but can't say he is an Islamist but you know... :-/
From all I have read the family is Jewish.
Okay he could be...
Or, maybe we all have become so desensitized to the stupidity of those around us, that we just ignore it when someone misspells pharaoh.
A little humor for your Sunday Courtesy of Wired right...
A guy is reading his paper when his wife walks up behind him and smacks him on the back of the head with a frying pan.
He asks, "What was that for?"
She says, "I found a piece of paper in your pocket with Betty Sue written on it."
He says, "Jeez, honey, remember last week when I went to the track? Betty Sue was the name of the horse I went there to bet on."
She shrugs and walks away.
Three days later he is reading his paper when she walks up behind him and smacks him on the back of the head again with the frying pan.
He asks, "What was that for?"
She answers, "Your horse called."
Ha!
Obama lackies claiming credit for Obama. Queue Obama marking this occasion with a picture of... Obama in 3..2..1
https://www.ihatethemedia.com/obama-singlehandidly-wins-triple-crown
Great horses enjoy what they do. This horse definitely enjoys running. How do I know? Watch how he uses his ears. During the race they are generally forward. He may flick one back occasionally to listen to his rider as you can see in this action shot. But mostly he is focused forward, intent on moving forward. His jockey is smart and knows him well so isn't distracting him with much talk. Also the reins are loose. The jockey has slight contact but doesn't need more than a bit for steering. This horse loves to run and he has been blessed with a rider who knows how to let him. A true joy to watch horses that enjoy their job.
Dick Francis is a fantastic writer of mysteries, many are based around the English racing industry and a few are not. If you like a well thought out story line Dick Francis will provide it.
The jockey did look like he was both: hanging on for dear life and just there for the ride LOL
Have you ever read Dick Francis novels? Dick Francis was a jockey himself and every one of his mystery novels involved horse racing, generally with a jockey or former jockey in the role of hero. Read a few of his books and you will have a whole new level of respect for the courage and toughness of jockeys.
No I haven't but I liked Secretariat and Seabiscuit those were good movies... although Seabiscuit was more about the jockey per se.
My country of birth does make good jockeys. Horse racing is BIG and the jockeys there are superstars lol.
I wish I was in your position, never having read a Dick Francis novel. Then I could read them all for the first time.
Give him a try, if you like murder mysteries and who done its you will like Francis. He is English so sometimes you have to re-read a sentence to figure out what he means but it's no big deal.
If you are going to read all his books you better get started. I have read at least 20 and have a long way to go to get through all he did.
Not especially a horse person myself but i do like english mystery writers
Then you will love Dick Francis. And here's a weird side effect I noticed when I read his novels: I found myself trying to be a better man after reading one. His heroes are always men of good character who inspire you to emulate. The effect on me was so pronounced that whenever I found myself wavering in life, I'd hit the nearest bookstore for a Dick Francis novel.
Thanks for the recommendation, always on the look out for good stuff to read!
I hear the Proggies are levying charges of horse racism because every horse didn't get a trophy.
Libtards should be ecstatic... The Brown horse won....
There was a horse that was named Big Brown a few years ago.
One of the horses in the race looked like Andrea Mitchell.
Were you looking at it from behind?
Only Secretariat has run this race faster. Well done.
Everybody hung around hoping to take him in the stretch but he just left them. Pretty impressive. The second place horse was flailing so bad, he looked like he'd been eating Michelle Obama school lunches.
I hear they fed him Purina Unicorn Chow to get him in tip top shape.
The jockey was really Brian Williams in disguise.
The jockey was really Brian Williams in disguise.
Not quite. The HORSE was really Brian Williams in disguise.
The horse's ass is the American pharaoh in DC
Wouldn't that be the Kenyan pharaoh in DC?
Only his vet knows for sure
Come on CO2, Espinoza is a better jockey than Williams would be in a drag disguise. Don't put the man down for nothing.