On February 2, 2012 a foal was born.
But not just any foal was born.
A future champion was born.
No one knew what he would do.
He was bought by who was selling him.
Ahmed Zayat.
Zayat brought him to the sales and bought him back.
For $300,000.
And then one day, something was found on Pharoah.
His tail was missing.
But not all of it.
It was rumored to be bitten off.
By another yearling with the name of Mr. Z.
American Pharoah showed class throughout all of his workouts leading up to his first start.
And then, in his first race, he didn't do what was expected.
He finished off the board in fifth.
Bob Baffert took off the blinkers for Pharaoh's next race and put cotton in his ears.
With the cotton, he could calm down a bit more, because he would not be able to hear some noises.
American Pharoah's next race would be the Del Mar Futurity.
He would start from the inside post.
He took the early lead and drew away to win impressively.
That race would start off his wins.
Later on in the month of September just weeks after his impressive win in the Del Mar Futurity, he would go to the FrontRunner Stakes.
He would break from post seven.
Another win to his race record.
Next up, the Breeders Cup Juvenile.
But, he couldn't go.
He had an injury that kept him from racing in the juvenile that Texas Red went on to dominate in.
And even though he did not go on into the juvenile, he still ended up winning the 2014 Champion 2 year old male award with his dominating wins in the FrontRunner and the Del Mar Futurity.
And so, 5 ½ months later, he went on to the Rebel Stakes.
He would be breaking from post 4.
And it would be his first race on the mud.
But the mud didn't bother him.
Nope, not at all.
He dominated the field.
He won easily.
Next stop, the Arkansas Derby.
He broke from gate 6.
Bridget's Big Luvy went up to set the early pace with Pharoah in second.
But that did not phase Pharoah.
Pharoah cut into the margins and went on to dominate that field, too.
Next up, the first leg of the Triple Crown.
The Kentucky Derby.
He went off as the early favorite, racing with the saddle towel number 18.
Pharoah sat off the pace set by Dortmund with Firing Line close to Pharoah's stablemate.
But, ultimately, American Pharoah went on to win.
Now, onto the Preakness.
The Preakness where he would break from post number one.
The post that no other horse has won from since Tabasco Cat.
Right before post time and riders up, it started to pour down rain.
But that would not bother Pharoah.
He had his cotton in his ears and he loves the mud.
No big deal for him.
But it was for second choiced Firing Line who was said to be Pharoah's biggest challenge but slipped coming out of the gates.
Mr. Z, the tail biter to Pharoah, challenged Pharoah at the start, but faded as Pharoah went on to win by over seven lengths.
Tale of Verve came flying into second, but was not a danger to Pharoah.
American Pharoah was on the road to immortality.
He was looking to be immortalized.
The three weeks seemed to drag on by.
But the big day finally came.
Only one horse had ran in all three Triple Crown races.
American Pharoah.
Only one horse had not run in any other Triple Crown race.
Madefromlucky.
Only one horse did not run in the Derby and only the Preakness.
Tale of Verve.
The other five ran in the Kentucky Derby and skipped the Preakness,
Mubtaahij, Materiality, Frosted, Keen Ice and Frammento.
Frosted was said to be the biggest danger.
No one was a danger.
American Pharoah broke slow, but went quickly to the lead.
And it was all over once he got the lead.
"And here it is! The 37 year wait is over! American Pharoah is finally the one! American Pharoah has won the Triple Crown!"
He won by 5 ½.
He was the 12th Triple Crown winner.
Baffert's 4th try multiplied by Victor Espinoza's 3rd try is equal to 12.
American Pharoah's Derby post 18 subtracted with his 1 post in the Preakness is 17. That 17 subtracted with his post 5 in the Belmont is equal to 12.
He was born in '12.
Nobody knew that it would take 34 years to have the right horse born.
Nobody knew if there would ever be another Triple Crown winner due to all of the heartbreak in all other Triple Crown tries.
The most memorable being Smarty Jones, California Chrome, Charismatic, I'll Have Another and others.
Now onto the Grand Slam for American Pharoah.
The Grand Slam being accomplished by winning the Triple Crown and the Breeders Cup Classic.
American Pharoah will try to become the first Grand Slam winner.
But, even if he loses his next few races, he has still won the 2015 Secretariat Vox Populi award, Horse of the Year and champion 3 year old male.
And then, onto Coolmore/Ashford Stud.
Where all the mares will be going crazy to have a foal by him.
American Pharoah is a champion.
A champion in his own right.
