American Pharoah on Sunday will race in the William Hill Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park in his first competition since winning the Triple Crown, and details have emerged "about how much work and money this little racetrack on the Jersey Shore had invested in landing" the horse, according to Joe Drape of the N.Y. TIMES. Beside the $25,000 bonus Monmouth "already guarantees the owner and the trainer of the winner of each Triple Crown race," the track increased its $1M purse to $1.75M, "making the Haskell the richest horse race in New Jersey history." The purse increase was announced shortly after American Pharoah arrived at Monmouth on Wednesday. Although track execs "denied it was a quid pro quo, they acknowledged" that American Pharoah owner Ahmed Zayat and trainer Bob Baffert "were aware that the pot would be sweetened for them if they, indeed, brought American Pharoah east from California." Darby Development legal advisor Dennis Drazin, whose company operates Monmouth Park, said that he had told Baffert that Monmouth "would create" a $1M race for American Pharoah in September "on the date and at the distance Baffert ... specifies for the Triple Crown champ." Drape notes Monmouth is "hardly alone in looking to attract racing’s biggest star, whose presence would increase attendance, help lift the amount wagered on the track’s races and provide untold publicity." Canterbury Park offered to provide a $2M purse if American Pharoah "would go" to the Minnesota track, while execs at Parx Racing near Philadelphia are "putting together an attractive package in an attempt to lure the colt to the Pennsylvania Derby on Sept. 19" (N.Y. TIMES, 7/31).
A NEW KIND OF TRIPLE-DOUBLE: BLOODHORSE's Frank Angst reports Monmouth Park officials "reached out to other tracks to try to create a post-Triple Crown three-race series that would have carried a bonus and been an attractive target" for American Pharoah. Drazin said that when the series "didn't come together," Monmouth "opted to use money it had set aside for its share of the bonus to increase" the Haskell purse. Drazin: "We tried to work with a couple of other states to try put together that bonus and we set aside an amount that we were willing to contribute to that." Drazin said of the Haskell purse increase, "We did this to try and honor the horse. This is about American Pharoah. We thought he deserved it" (BLOODHORSE.com, 7/30).
INCREASED INTEREST: In New Jersey, John Rowe notes while Monmouth has "done an excellent job of creating an event atmosphere for the Haskell, this edition needs no marketing gimmicks or commemorative hats, although that tradition will continue." This race "begins and ends with American Pharoah," as he is "the attraction." He is "the star," and he is "why 200 media credentials (or 100 more than usual) have been issued." Darby Development President Bob Kulina said, "There’s so much interest. To see some of the ticket prices on Stub Hub was amazing, even if they’re not true." Rowe notes Monmouth is "going all out." There is "everything from free admission to watch American Pharoah gallop" Friday and Saturday morning, "to a Baffert baseball jersey giveaway, to a mini-golf tournament" (Bergen RECORD, 7/31).
